


Qye

by opacre



Series: Carus Qye Opacre [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Bonding, Explicit Language, F/M, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Memory Alteration, Minor Character Death, Slow Build, Vampires, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-01
Updated: 2016-04-30
Packaged: 2018-04-26 07:15:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 161,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4995193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/opacre/pseuds/opacre
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fifth Year has come around for Harry Potter, one summer since the tragic events of the Triwizard Tournament. He has become quiet and withdrawn, keeping his gloomy thoughts to himself. But he will not have the time to be concerned about outside worries like Voldemort, not when he has to worry about his own problems at Hogwarts. With Fifth Year comes a vampire woman, DADA teacher, and with her she brings out odd feelings and odd people.</p><p>[Written pre-HBP publication, diverts from GoF.  Begun a decade ago, uploading to complete series.]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I began "Qye" at FFN.net about a decade ago. Uploading it here now and once its all caught up to where it left off at FFN.net, I will begin to post the new finished chapters as well. This was written with ignoring OoTp canon onwards, although I might include a few things. Hope readers, old and new, enjoy!

‘ _Is this the kind of weather that a day meant for celebration is supposed to have_?’ Jordan Taine thought wearily as he stared out of a nearby window and into the fierce thunderstorm outside.  The rain was coming down swiftly and the lightning made the dim room fill with light for a moment before being plunged back into near darkness, the only source of light being a small fire in the stone fireplace.

Jordan raised a hand to his mouth, trying to stifle a yawn as his fraternal twin, Jacob Taine, grumbled, “The least our cousins can do is supply us with _sangis vinum_.  Or maybe some champagne. I mean, the war’s finished now, ain’t it?  We should be celebrating!”

“Should we?” said Leon Hastai quietly, his pale brown eyes looking at Jacob with his usual serious expression.  “So many have died in this war…so many families have been broken, so many old ways. Do you honestly think we should celebrate?”

“You really know how to liven a gathering, don’t you, Hastai?” Saira Latvian asked sarcastically, her blue-violet eyes glaring darkly from her seat at the table to Leon in the armchair.  “The damn thing is finally fucking done and all you can think about is how many have died and how much we’ve lost?”  She snorted derisively and crossed her arms, a sneer playing on her lips.  “Bright ray of sunshine, aren’t you?”

The brown-haired man frowned at black-haired Saira.  “I was only saying,” Leon said in his mild voice, showing how insulted he was, “that we should not make light of the end.  As it is said, no war - ”

“- is a good war,” Jacob interrupted, rolling his green eyes at the older man.  “Yeah, yeah, we know the cliché, Pops.  But that’s just so damn depressing.  I mean, we’re alive, ain’t we? We managed to get through this hell without kicking the bucket, haven’t we?  I think we’ve deserved a little bit of a party.”

Jordan shook his head in exasperation.  “Jacob,” he began in his most calming tone of voice before his hotheaded twin got into a fight with the head of the Hastai family.  His twin’s red hair matched his fiery disposition and Jordan once again thanked all the gods and goddesses that he wasn’t next in line to be head of the Taine family.  That happy title landed on their older sister, Natalie Taine.

“Oh, don’t ‘Jacob’ me, Jordan,” his red haired twin said in annoyance, glowering at him.  “You know I’m right.”

“I think you’re right,” Krista Jeaneyl said, smiling while her hazel eyes twinkled in mirth.  “‘Mourn the losses because they are many but cherish the victories because they are few,’” she quoted, brushing her long brown-blond hair out of her face.  Jacob grinned at her, snapping his fingers.

“Exactly,” he said cheerfully, still grinning at the representative of the Jeaneyl family.  Jordan often suspected there was something going on between the two, or that there might be something in the future but he said nothing.  Jacob continued in a passionate tone of voice, saying, “At least there’s somebody in here who’s just as smart as me.  I mean honestly, who the hell wants to think about all this gloomy shit when - ”

“What do you think, Pater Nosferatu?” Verna Zabar suddenly asked quietly from the rocking chair by the small fire, not looking up from her knitting.  Jordan looked at the elderly woman in confusion from beneath his golden fringe, his blue eyes blinking in puzzlement.

“I think cousin Jacob needs to learn to hold his tongue more,” a new, cold voice came from the doorway of the room.

The room went silent.

Jordan mentally groaned and fervently prayed that Mom and Dad wouldn’t find out about this while hoping that Jacob would keep his fat mouth shut.

His idiot twin fortunately seemed to know what he was thinking and closed his mouth quickly, wincing.  “Sorry, cousin,” Jacob muttered, lowering his eyes to the floor, a submissive look on his face.  “I was just saying - ”

“Hold your tongue while addressing a Head, boy!” Saira hissed, glaring at him while standing up from the table as the Taine’s cousin silently entered the meeting room.  Leon didn’t say anything as he stood from his armchair but Jordan but could practically feel the satisfaction pour out of him.  He ground his teeth slowly while he straightened up from his position of leaning against the wall next to the window.  His twin was already standing in the middle of the room but Krista hastily stood up from the couch, walking towards the table in the middle.  The only one who remained sitting was Verna, who was still sitting unconcernedly next to the fireplace, knitting away.

His cousin stood at the head of the table and sat down as silently as he came in and Jordan gave a start when he noticed the other person who had walked in behind his cousin.  He hadn’t thought his other cousin would make an appearance, as she usually wasn’t in the meetings.  His forehead furrowed as he wondered why she was here now.

“Sit,” the head of the Opacre family said, still using his cold voice.  As he sat down next to his twin, Jordan dimly pondered if he ever had another type of voice.

“State yourselves,” his older cousin said in his icy voice.

Jordan felt Jacob’s irritation at having to state themselves and he suppressed a smile.  It was a tedious thing but unlike his twin, Jordan knew it was necessary.  ‘ _Well, was necessary_ ,’ he thought as his twin stood up, being the oldest of the two by five minutes and therefore eldest of their family present.  ‘ _Not sure if it’s still necessary…’_

“Jacob and Jordan Taine,” his red-haired twin said in his most formal tone voice.  “Representatives of the Taine family of vampires from the United States, which is second-in-command to the Head family of the North American vampires.  Sons of Robert and Morgan Taine, current Heads of the Taine family.  Cousins to the Opacre family of vampires and on the side of the Opacres.”  Jacob sat back down and muttered under his breath, “Not that it matters anymore, really…”

Jordan pinched his twin while Krista stood up from across Jacob.

“Krista Jeaneyl,” she said, her voice trembling slightly from her nervousness.  Jordan recalled that this was her first – and possibly last – time in a meeting of the Opacre leaders.  “Representative of the Jeaneyl family of vampires from Europe, which is the Head family of the lower-caste class,” she continued, flushing a bit because of her status.  She quickly recovered and continued.  “Daughter of Nathaniel and Ginger Jeaneyl, cousins to the Heads of the Jeaneyl family who are David and Daniella Jeaneyl.  Loyal to the Opacre family of vampires and on the side of the Opacres.”  Krista sat back down and Jordan saw Jacob grin at her, which she returned.

Saira stood up as soon as Krista sat down and said in a crisp voice, her blue-violet eyes flashing with disgust and annoyance at the girl next to her, “Saira Latvian.  Representative of the Latvian family of vampires from Europe, who are second-in-command to the Head family of the European vampires.  Wife of Sebastian Latvian - ” – Jordan saw a flash of pain in her violet eyes – “ – who was my partner as Head of the Latvian family.  Loyal to the Opacre family of vampires and on the side of the Opacres.”  She sat down quickly and Leon stood up from next to Jordan.

“Leon Hastai,” he said quietly, his bull voice rumbling softly.  “Representative of the Hastai family of vampires from Europe, which is the head of the middle-caste class.  Head of the Hastai family of vampires, along with my wife Margaret who could not attend because of her fever.”  He sent an apologetic look to the Head of the Opacres but Jordan’s cousin just waved his hand, indifferent.  “Loyal to the Opacre family of vampires and on the side of the Opacres,” he finished and sat down.

Jordan glanced nervously at Verna who was still knitting, wondering why she was allowed to be at ease and if she knew it was her turn to present herself.

“Verna Zabar,” she said in her elderly voice, brushing her gray hair out of her brown face, her black eyes on the knitting.  “Representative of the Zabar family of vampires from South America, who are the next-in-line to be the Head family of the South American vampires.  Elder for the Zabar family of vampires, whose Heads are my son, Juan Zabar, and his wife, Maria Zabar.  Loyal to the Opacre family of vampires and on the side of the Opacres, as we will always be,” she finished, never looking up.

Jordan’s eyebrows went up at the straying of protocol and he nervously looked at his cousin.  He blinked in surprise at the lack of emotion on his cousin’s pale face and mentally sighed.  ‘ _I don’t know why I keep expecting something from him_ ,’ he thought, a bit sadly.  ‘ _He doesn’t seem capable of emotions like the rest of us._ ’  Then he stopped thinking, nervously remembering that his cousin had a stronger Jewel and could read his thoughts.

To his surprise, his other cousin stood up from next to Saira.  Quietly, she said, “Marylin Opacre.  Sister to the Head of the Opacre family of vampires from Europe, who are the Head family of the European vampires.  Second-in-command of the family as well as advisor to the Head of the Opacres and European vampires.”  She sat down and Jordan eyed her curiously, wondering why she stated herself.  He shook his head and returned his eyes to his other cousin.

His cousin’s ice-blue eyes looked over all of them emotionlessly and then he nodded.  “Let’s make this brief, shall we?” he said coldly.  “I know some of us want to do better things with this time than stay here.  Like celebrate.”

Jacob squirmed in his seat and Jordan silently swore to smack him later.

“Being blunt,” the Head of the European vampires said coldly, “is what I’ve been hearing true?  Is the Dazain rebellion truly put down?”

“It’s true,” Jacob piped up and Jordan groaned, wanting to hit his idiot twin.  Jacob didn’t seem to notice his warning look and continued, grinning slightly.  “Those Dazains are good and whipped, cousin.  No sweat.”

“Shut up, boy!” Saira snapped from across Jordan, glaring at Jacob.  “Don’t talk about things you don’t know!”  Jacob glowered at her but thankfully stayed silent.

“What doesn’t he know?” Jordan’s cousin asked coldly. “Are the Dazains still a threat?”  Saira sighed irritably and turned to face her liege.

“Not exactly,” she said reluctantly.  Jordan knew that a gang of Dazain vampires had been the cause of her husband’s death and wasn’t surprised that she was being reluctant.  She probably wanted to drag out the war against the Dazains as long as possible for revenge.  “It’s true that most of the Dazain vampires are either in capture and awaiting execution or they’re already dead.  But - ”

“But nothing, Saira,” Leon rumbled, looking at her with his serious brown eyes out of a pale face.  “You know as well as I that the boy is pretty much right about the Dazain faction being defeated.”

Jordan bristled slightly along with his twin, glowering at the older man next to him as he gave out the status report of the Dazains.  He shared an annoyed look with his twin.  ‘ ** _Boy?!_** ’ he thought indignantly.  ‘ _We’re legal adults and have been in battle against Dazains!  We’ve been part of this campaign since it started and they still think we’re **boys**?  Arg!  What the hell do we have to do to be accepted as **equals** here?’_

“So as you can see, Pater Nosferatu,” Leon began to conclude, “The Dazains are really hardly anything anymore.  Yes, there are still some Dazain groups out there right now,” he added, seeing Saira beginning to open her mouth to argue, “but they can hardly be called a threat.  Give it a couple of months and the Dazains will be nothing but an extremely bad memory.”

It was quiet for a moment around the table, the only sound in the room being the crackling of the fireplace and the clicking Verna knitting.

“Do you agree, Saira?” his cousin asked quietly, voice cold as winter.  Saira sighed and nodded grudgingly.  It was quiet once more and then an absent voice called from next to the fire.

“Do not assume a vampire cannot be dangerous without its fangs,” Verna murmured, examining her knitting.  Jordan saw his cousin’s cold blue eyes narrow.

“What do you mean, Verna?” he asked silky and Jordan shivered.  He had almost forgotten about his cousin’s silky voice.  The last time he used that tone of voice had been when he had killed the assassin of the last Head of the European vampires.  He had been one of the unfortunate ones to be there when the Opacre group had caught the assassin.  He shivered again and felt his twin grasp his hand under the table reassuringly.  Jacob hadn’t been at the…execution…but he had heard enough from Jordan’s nightmares to get a vague idea of it.  Jordan gratefully squeezed his twin’s hand.

Verna said nothing, resuming her knitting and Jordan felt his cousin’s anger rising.

“She means that the Dazains are finding another way to rebel,” Krista suddenly said quickly, anxiously.

All eyes snapped to her and the representative of the lower-caste vampires gulped.

“Explain, Jeaneyl,” his cousin said.  Jordan was oddly relieved to hear it revert to its cold tone again.  He didn’t think his twin would like it if something happened to Krista.

“Well…” Krista said hesitantly, looking nervously at the Pater Nosferatu.  She gulped under his cold gaze and spoke in a rush.  “Well, you see, some of the Dazains under Jeaneyl custody have been interrogated and by adding that with the information our informants having been sending us we’ve been developing a tentative theory about something the Dazains were planning to do before that final battle in Norway and even though the Dazains are pretty much crushed we’re still getting information that’s still pointing to the way the Dazains were planning on going to before - ”

“Get to the point,” the Head of the Opacres growled, blue eyes flashing.  Krista gulped again.

“We think the remaining Dazain vampires are going to join with Voldemort,” she said nervously.

Silence met the table again.

“I should have known,” Saira sneered, breaking the silence a few moments later.  “The Dazain bastards never had any honor,” she said contemptuously.

“Joining with _wizards_ ,” Leon said, shaking his head in disbelief.  “They can’t be that desperate, can they?”

“I thought the Dazains were always proud of being a vampire,” Jordan said, blinking.  “Why would they join with wizards?”

“Wanna go down with a fight,” Jacob grinned.  “I would’ve done the same thing if I were in their place.”  He rubbed his hands together, an eager light in his eyes.  “Fighting wizards…now that’s going to be something…”

“Shut up, boy,” Saira snapped, glaring at Jacob.  Jacob growled at her, glaring darkly at her with annoyed green eyes.

“Why is it always me?” he muttered to Jordan, looking very sour.

“Because you need to learn to shut up,” he muttered back, ignoring the scowl his twin sent him.  Instead, he leaned forward and looked at his cousin who was looking at Marylin.  “Cousin?”  They both turned to look at him, expressions extremely neutral.  He met their blank expressions evenly and asked quietly, “What are we going to do?”

Marylin and her brother shared long looks again and Jordan furrowed his forehead.  There was something about their looks to each other…

“I assume you’ll be accepting young Dumbledore’s request?” Verna suddenly asked.  Jordan blinked and turned around.  The Elder had finally put down her knitting and was looking at them with a calm expression on her face.

“Who’s Dumbledore?” Krista asked and Jordan shared a slightly relieved look with his brother.  It looked like they weren’t the only ones who didn’t know who this Dumbledore was.

“Dumbledore?” Saira said sharply and Jordan jumped, turning his eyes back to the table.  Saira looked furious and was glaring back and forth between the Opacres and Verna.  “Dumbledore?  As in _Headmaster_ Albus Dumbledore?  As in _Wizard_ Dumbledore?” she snapped.

“Could you perhaps fill us in, Pater?” Leon said mildly but Jordan thought it sounded more like an order from stern father to a guilty child.

Apparently his cousin thought so too.  “Watch yourself, Leon,” he said coldly, glaring icily at the older man.  “You may be older than me and friend of my father but remember that I outrank you in every way.  Don’t question me or make me remind you why I outrank you.”  Leon lowered his eyes and the Head of the Opacres looked at him hard for a few more moments before nodding.

The Pater Nosferatu looked around the table before saying quietly, “Dumbledore, the _wizard_ , sent me a letter this morning.  Apparently, wizards cannot handle wars among themselves.  He asked us to join his side against Voldemort, saying that it would strengthen the bond between all the beings of the magical community.”  He smiled mirthlessly.  “He also said he would help to stop the _injustices_ against us.”

Saira snorted.  “Yeah,” she said sarcastically.  “So long as we do the dirty work, right?”  She glared at the Pater.  “Please tell me you told him ‘hell no,’” she growled.

His cousin looked at her coolly.  She flushed but kept her gaze.  They continued like that for a few moments before he finally said in a slightly irritated voice, “I haven’t said anything yet.  I barely received the letter this morning and I wanted your advice for my response.”

“You got your response,” Jacob grinned.  “A, as Saira so lovely put it,  ‘hell no.’”

“Shut up, boy!” Saira growled, not taking her eyes off their cousin.  Jacob growled, leaning forward slightly and Jordan put a calming hand on his shoulder.  His twin bared his teeth at him but settled back down.  Saira ignored them and leaned forward, glaring at the Head of the Opacres.

“Well, _Pater_?” she said, a slight tone of disrespect in the title.  “What are you going to say to the old man?  Hand us over to be slaves?  Have you our collars ready?  Are you eager to be like the Dazains, following a wizard like a _dog_?”  Jordan frowned along with the rest at her.  Disliking his cousin’s actions and decisions was one thing…outright disrespect to him was another.  Jordan and his twin frowned a bit more than the others.  Their cousin and them might not necessarily be as close as some others and they also may not like his ways but they were still family and they would be damned before they let someone else mess with their family.

“Watch yourself, Saira,” Marylin suddenly said softly.  They all jumped when she spoke and even Saira looked at her.  Then she leaned back, seeing the fires of anger leaping from quiet Marylin’s eyes.  Jordan suddenly remembered how frightening his other cousin was, just like her brother.

“It’s alright, Soror,” her brother said quietly, smiling mirthlessly.  “I would have said the same thing in her place.  Still…don’t forget yourself as well, Saira.  I won’t go easy on you if I have to remind you why I’m in charge.”  He stared at her with his winter-like eyes until she looked down.

“Sorry, Pater,” she said sullenly but obviously put back in her place.  Jordan shook his head, mentally sighing.  _‘First Leon, now her…_ ’ he thought wearily.  _‘It’s a good thing the war ended when it did.  If it went on anymore, who knows how the Heads might be around each other.’_

“As I was about to say before we strayed from the topic,” Pater Nosferatu said, acting as if the displays of disrespect had not occurred, “Dumbledore obviously wants an alliance with us.  Before this meeting, I was ready to agree with you, Saira.  However, because of these new developments brought forth by the Jeaneyls, I think we should reconsider it.”

“Fight fire with fire,” Jordan suddenly said, eyes widening.  He blushed when everyone turned to look at him and sunk in his seat.  He coughed and looked timidly at his cousin.  “That’s what you mean to do, isn’t it?  Use this alliance with Dumbledore to fight against Voldemort if the Dazains do join him.”

“That was the idea,” his cousin said, nodding.  Saira looked furious and even Leon looked disapproving.  His cousin turned his icy cold eyes on both of them.  “Unless both of you want another five years of fighting against wizards and Dazains?” he asked softly.

“We can deal by ourselves,” Saira growled.  Leon nodded.

Marylin snorted and Jordan jumped with his twin and Krista.  “Oh yes,” she said sarcastically, looking in contempt at Saira.  “We can be judged on the same level as wizards, who can perform a variety of spells and kill us without being within ten feet of us.”

“So can we,” Saira shot back, glaring at Marylin.

Marylin came as close as she ever did to a sneer.  “For how long?” she said, eyes flashing.  “In case you’ve forgotten, they outnumber us, ten wizards for every vampire.  And let us not forget their various ways of concealment, both in mind and body.  Oh, and the potions they brew and - ”

“Fine!” Saira shouted, throwing her hands up in the air.  “Let’s join these damn wizards already.  But the minute they start to want to tag us and treat us like servants, I’ll be among the first to say ‘I told you so’ and fight for myself.”

“Your right is reserved,” Marylin’s brother said dryly and the women jerked, obviously forgetting he was there.  Marylin glared slightly at her brother before turning her eyes back down.  Saira just scowled and crossed her arms.  The Head of the European vampires looked around and asked coolly, “Any more objections?”

The room was silent.

Jordan’s cousin nodded.  “Very well, I’ll send the reply tonight.  If the Dazains do join Voldemort, we’ll be there to meet them with our own surprise.”  He stood up and Leon suddenly spoke up.

“What makes you think that the wizards will help us in time of need?” the large man asked mildly, looking into the fire.  The disapproving look appeared to have disappeared but Jordan could still see traces of reluctance in his eyes.  It appeared Leon did not want there to be an alliance with wizards but was resigned to the fact that there would be one.  _‘I guess all he can do is make the most of it,_ ’ Jordan thought, looking at the older man.

“I’ve already thought of that, Leon,” his cousin said, smiling humorlessly.  He looked at Marylin and she stood up.  “And here’s the answer.”

Jordan shared a confused look with his twin.  Looks of similar puzzlement were around the table and his cousin’s mirthless smile deepened.

“Dumbledore mentioned in his letter that there was a vacant teaching position at Hogwarts,” he said coolly.  “Defense Against the Dark Arts.  He said that no one seemed to want to take the job and if I knew anyone, he would be more than happy to take them on.  He obviously wants me to suggest a vampire for the job, I suppose his way of ‘helping’ fight against the ‘injustices’ done against us.”

“And Marylin is going to take the job,” Krista said, half-stating, half-questioning.  The Pater Nosferatu nodded and Krista looked confused.  “How’s this going to help?”

“Hélène,” Saira said in disgust, glaring at Krista.  “What are they teaching you at Nosle?  How to tie your shoes?”  Krista blushed and looked down in embarrassment.

“Well, we can’t exactly learn it from you old folks who can’t bend far enough to touch your shoes without breaking your back or wheezing,” Jacob snapped, glaring at the Latvian Head.  Saira growled, half-rising out of her chair.

“Act your ages,” Jacob’s cousin snapped, his blue eyes flashing.  Saira growled again and sat back down while Jacob looked sulkily at the table.  Jordan sighed and shook his head wearily.

“Krista,” the Pater said coolly and she looked up embarrassedly.  “While she’s teaching those children, she’ll also be correcting their views on us, which means they’ll tell their parents.  The adults who have some shred of intelligence will listen to them and will help us when we need them, hopefully.  Also, while she is there, she’ll be negotiating a treaty with Dumbledore and be sending me updates regularly on what’s going on there.  Dumbledore is leading a force against Voldemort and Marylin will be part of his group, which means she’ll be receiving information on what he’s doing.  If the Dazains do join him, we’ll be one step ahead of them and we’ll be waiting to crush the rest of them.”  He looked around.  “Does anyone here see why it’s a good plan?”

“You’re assuming the children’s ideas about us can be changed,” Leon said quietly, looking at the cold blue eyes.  “Your whole plan revolves around people’s views about us being changed.  Do you know how unlikely that is?”

“Do you have a better idea?” Marylin asked sarcastically.  Leon sighed and lowered his eyes, shaking his head.   “Then we stick with this.  If you do come up with a better one, share it with us.  I know this plan is almost impossible - ”

“And completely stupid,” Saira muttered, arms crossed.  Marylin ignored her.

“ – but it’s the best we have so we’ll go with it while we can.  Any questions?” Marylin asked, looking around.  No one said anything.

“Is that it then?” Jacob asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Almost,” came a voice from near the window.  Jordan jumped and turned in his chair to look at the window, blinking.  His cousin stood there, staring out of the window, watching the rain cascade down.  He hadn’t even seen him move.

“I just want to know that if the Dazains are truly a threat at the moment and if they will be if they join Voldemort,” his cousin said quietly, his back turned to them.

Leon frowned slightly.  “The Dazain threat right now is extremely low, I told you that. They’ll be nothing in a couple of months,” his bull voice rumbled.  “And if they join Voldemort…” He sighed and rubbed his eyes.  “Well, even if your plan with Dumbledore doesn’t work, we’ll still beat them though it might take longer.  And if your plan does work…well, the Dazains won’t stand a chance.”  He paused.  “Why do you ask?”

The Head of the Opacres and European vampires said nothing.  He merely raised his right hand to touch something around his neck.

 _‘He’s touching that choker,_ ’ Jordan realized.  He only saw that choker a couple of times but he had often seen his cousin rub something on his neck whenever he was stressed or contemplating something.  It was one of the two pieces of jewelry he wore.  The other was the Opacre Pendent, which held his Jewel.  Both pieces were worn under his shirt and hardly visible, which hid the sign that he was a Head. Unlike other Heads, his cousin didn’t wear things that proclaimed his title.  He didn’t need to, not with the presence he had.

“Carus Noctivagus,” Verna suddenly said.  Jordan blinked and looked at the Elder.  She was looking at his cousin, an amused expression in her eyes.  “Is that not right, child?”

Jordan shared a confused look with his twin – how many looks have they shared in this one meeting?! – but blinked and turned when Krista gasped loudly.

“You mean he’s alive?” she squeaked, looking wide-eyed at his cousin.

The room chilled.

“Krista,” Marylin said coldly and Jordan moved slightly closer to his twin.  “Do not make statements like that again.  I will be seeing that you are never a representative again as you do not seem capable for the job.”  Krista looked down, red faced and ashamed.

“What the hell - ” Jacob began angrily but Jordan interrupted before his twin caused any more damage.

“ – is a Carus Noctivagus?” he said, shooting his red-haired twin a warning look.  Jacob growled, eyes burning but Jordan was unfazed, keeping his stern look.  Jacob snorted in disgust and turned his head away, refusing to look at him.  Jordan mentally sighed.

Saira snorted in disgust but said nothing.  Leon quietly said, “A Carus Noctivagus is a vampire’s mate.  Your sister has one I believe?”

“Yeah…” he said slowly, remembering Harvey.  “Is that what you call them?” Jordan asked in surprise.  Leon nodded and Jordan furrowed his eyebrow.  Leaning closer, he whispered, “Why is cousin Marylin upset?”

Leon glanced at the still figure of his other cousin and his lips twisted slightly.  Quietly, he whispered back, “Because some people think Pater Nosferatu killed his.  Krista obviously is one of those people and he hates hearing that accusation.”

“Oh,” he said.  Leaning away, he looked back at his cousin.  There was silence in the room again, Saira and Leon looking at their liege in new understanding, Marylin in pity and what appeared slight anger, and Verna with amusement.  Jacob was still scowling at the tabletop and Krista was still shamefaced.  Jordan just looked at his cousin.

Finally, he asked, “What are you going to do?”

Rain poured outside and thunder bellowed.  His cousin didn’t turn to face him as he said quietly, “First, I’m going to get rid of the Dazains we have right now.  Then I’m going to try and ally ourselves with the wizards.  After the alliance seems sure enough that we can rely on it in case the Dazains do ally themselves with Voldemort, I’m going to do something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time.”

Jordan asked quietly, “What’s that?”

Lightning flashed and the room was illuminated.  The blinding light made his cousin’s blond hair shine brightly and his reflection shimmered for a moment on the window.

He was smiling a slightly warm smile, the ice gone from his usually hard blue eyes.

Lest Opacre whispered quietly, “I’m going to visit my in-laws.”


	2. Another Year's Beginning

“We’re here, Harry.”

Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, opened his green eyes, eyes that were once full of good cheer and happiness.  Now, even after arriving at the only place he really considered home, the bright glow in the emerald eyes was gone, faded to a dull, tired look.  Sighing, he ran a pale hand through his messy black hair and exited the carriage.

Pulling up the hood to his cloak, Harry looked up at the dark castle of Hogwarts.  Usually, the sight of the magnificent stone castle filled him with such a sense of joy that he smiled for the rest of the day.  But now, all he did was look at it with weariness, knowing that another year that was bound to be full of something or the other awaited him.

“Harry?” a quiet voice asked behind him.  He turned around.

Ron Weasley, his best friend since their first train ride to Hogwarts, was grumbling as he struggled to pull up the hood to his hand-me-down cloak but Harry could see him shooting worried looks at him in between tugs.  Next to him stood their best friend, Hermione Granger, who already had her hood up and was looking anxiously at him.

“Are you sure you’re all right, Harry?” she asked worriedly, her brown eyes searching his own eyes.  “You’ve been quiet on the entire trip.  Is something bothering you?”

“I’m fine, Hermione,” Harry said quietly, slightly exasperated.

“You don’t look fine Harry,” she responded promptly, peering at him.

Ever since they met at King’s Cross, Hermione had been shooting him worried looks and probing at him, obviously trying to get him to talk.  He hadn’t sent many letters over the summer and she had obviously taken this as a sign that there was something _very_ wrong with him.  So she had taken it as her duty to badger him until she figured out was wrong and how to solve it.  He loved that in her, her way of taking care of her friends’ problems, most of the time.

But right now it was seriously ticking him off.

“Hermione,” he said through gritted teeth, counting backwards from ten mentally, “you’ve said that during the entire trip.  And I’ve repeatedly told you that I’m fine.  Now will you _please_ drop it already?”

“But Harry - ” she began, still looking worried and determined to badger him.

“Leave him alone already, Hermione,” Ron interrupted, finally managing to tug his hood up.  Hermione glared at him but he just glowered back.  “If Harry says he’s fine, he’s fine.  And if he isn’t, it’s because you’re hounding the poor guy.  So drop it already!”

Harry shot him a grateful look, which Ron returned with a grin before he started walking towards the castle.  Harry followed him and he heard Hermione mutter something that sounded suspiciously like ‘ _boys!_ ’ before she caught up with them.  He shot her an apologetic look but all she did was sniff and walk farther ahead of them.  He sighed and made a mental note to apologize more profusely later on before she really got huffy.

He knew she was trying to help, really he did.  But he just didn’t want to talk.  He didn’t think that there were even _words_ to describe how he was feeling.  Ever since June, he felt like there was no way for anyone to understand how he was feeling.  There were times he doubted that even he himself understood how he felt.  Ever since Cedric died, he felt as if a part of him had been ripped to shreds and now all he could do was stare at the pieces and try to fit them back together as they had been before only there was no way it could be the same as before.

‘ _Cedric_ ,’ he thought, looking down at the ground and feeling the rain splatter down on top of his hood.  ‘ _No one deserved that, not you, not my parents.  I’m so sorry, I should have been more selfish, then maybe you still would have been alive._ ’

The entire summer he had been plagued with dreams of that night in June.  He dreamed of Cedric, staring up at him with his dead gray eyes, face forever locked in that expression of surprise.  He dreamed of that high cold voice whispering over and over again, saying ‘ _Kill the spare, kill the spare_.’  He dreamed of Mr. Diggory sobbing, Mrs. Diggory with tears in her eyes…Cho crying.

Then he dreamed the dreams that made him break out into a cold sweat and scream bloody murder into his pillow.  Dreams of his friends being killed, mutilated, tortured and maimed in every possible way.  Dreams of Sirius being captured and given the Kiss and Professor Lupin being shot with silver because he was a werewolf.  Dreams of the Burrow being buried in fire and the Weasley family screaming inside, the stench of their burning flesh filling his nose.  Dreams of Hermione, bleeding to death in the mud while Death Eaters chanted a chorus of ‘ _Mudblood, Mudblood_ ’ around her.  Dreams of his parents emerging from the wand of Voldemort and instead of being encouraging, they told him how much of a disappointment he was.

He didn’t get much sleep this summer

The beginning of the summer was bad.  In the beginning, he had to suffer through the ridicule the press shot at him – obviously being led by the idiot Fudge, who had adamantly refused to believe that Voldemort was back – and the public was turned against him.  Howlers came for him daily, so many that he was shouted at for being so loud in his room by his Aunt and smacked by his Uncle.  The Daily Prophet again and again made fun of him and nobody believed his story.  Some Howlers said he killed Cedric.  Those hurt him the most and he retreated into himself, feeling like they were too close for comfort.  Ron and Hermione sent letters, saying that he shouldn’t listen to them and that it would all blow over but it still hurt.  The month of July was a dark, bleak month for him and it seemed like no one would ever believe him.  He gave up trying to reason with people who wouldn’t listen to him and inside himself, a dark part of himself, he bitterly hoped that they would get hurt for not listening.

His wish was granted.

It was the end of the first week of August and it was an ordinary day with ordinary weather.  Ordinary people went to work on the 7th of August, going on with their ordinary lives.  The ordinary people had bid good-bye to their relatives and gone to work.  They had gone, unsuspecting of what lay in store for them.  Those ordinary people were completely and totally unprepared for the Death Eaters waiting around every corner in Diagon Alley.  They were like lambs sent to slaughter and by the time the Aurors managed to bring everything under control, eighty-five were killed and a hundred were wounded.

Twelve of the eighty-five murdered were children on an outing with an elderly woman chaperone.  The woman had also been killed, trying to hurry the children to safety.  One blast from the wand of a Death Eater toppled a building on them.  The Aurors didn’t manage to get the Death Eater responsible.

The Diagon Alley Massacre, as the attack became known as, was a sharp slap from reality to all the wizarding people.  Immediately, they all accepted the fact the Voldemort had indeed risen again.  Fudge was made a fool by the Daily Prophet but somehow still managed to hold his reign as Minister of Magic.  Harry Potter was once again the loved and adored child of the wizarding world and the Howlers changed to flowers and gifts with apology notes.  The Daily Prophet praised him where it once scorned him and his status was favored again.  He should have been happy.

He wasn’t happy.  Instead, more depression overcame him.  What if’s popped into his mind.  ‘ _What if I had tried harder?  What if I hadn’t given up trying to reason with them?  What if I had sent letters to the Daily Prophet?_ ’  And he couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty as well.  Hadn’t he hoped for something cruel and hadn’t his wish been granted?  He began to believe that it was his fault that the Massacre happened.  His dreams now included the children and old woman screaming as the building tumbled down on them but instead of a Death Eater holding the wand, it was him and he was laughing.  He woke from these dreams sobbing and in a cold sweat.

His summer, to say the least, very much sucked.  The only rays of light in his summer were the letters of his friends and of Sirius Black, his godfather.  Although Sirius couldn’t say where he was or visit him, they cheered him up when he read them, full of helpful advice and good humor.  His last one was the day before he reunited with his friends on Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters so he was in one of his better moods when he saw his best friends again.  Albeit, he was still depressed but lighter than usual.

Unfortunately, Hermione thought that his light moods weren’t light enough.  Ron obviously thought so too, judging from his eyebrow raise when he saw him again, but he was good enough to not say anything.  Hermione wasn’t as nice and had been pursuing him from the moment they stepped onto the Hogwarts Express, probing over how he was feeling and whether or not he wanted to talk.  Ron had tried to make her stop but had quickly given up when she gave him one of her looks.  Harry had put up with it for the entire train ride and most of the carriage ride but now it was beginning to get irritating.

‘Still, I better apologize for snapping at her like that,’ he thought as they entered the Entrance Hall with the other students, lowering the hoods.  ‘It wouldn’t be a good idea to get Hermione angry with me before the term has even begun.  Merlin knows I’m going to need all her help this year, with O.W.L.s and all.’  Since they were fifth-years now, at the end of the year they would have to take the Ordinary Wizarding Level exams and this year would no doubt be extremely difficult for him.

“Bloody weather,” Ron muttered, shaking the rainwater off his cloak.  “Why does it always seem to bloody rain when we return to Hogwarts?”

“Watch your language,” Hermione sniffed, brushing water off her own cloak.  “And it doesn’t rain all the time, just most.  And it might be because it’s almost winter when we return.”

“Really?” Ron asked sarcastically, looking at Hermione in slight annoyance.  “Well, gee, I hadn’t noticed.  I always thought it was spring when we came back.”

“With you, I’m not surprised,” Hermione said sweetly, eyes flashing.  Ron glowered at her before taking off his prefect badge and polishing it slightly before buttoning it back on again.  They had been made prefects of Gryffindor House and even though he complained about it, Harry often saw the pride in his blue eyes when he looked at his badge.  He had been thrilled to see his best friends become prefects although he had also felt a pang of loneliness.  They both now had new responsibilities and he felt like he was slightly on a different level than theirs sometimes.  But they were still his best friends and he wouldn’t let something as stupid as positions get in the way of their friendship, or anything else for that matter.

Harry followed his bickering friends to the Great Hall where other students were already sitting at their respective tables.  Grabbing a few seats near the Head Table, Harry watched amusedly as his best friends continued to bicker on trivial tings.  The warmth of the Great Hall, the familiar sight of his friends bickering…it was enough the push away his depression for the moment.  He began to feel like he had really come home and he let out a quiet sigh, content to finally be back where he belonged.

His sigh alerted Hermione and she immediately stopped in mid-rant at Ron to look concernedly at him.  “Harry, are you alright?” she asked anxiously, leaning across the table towards him.  Beside her, Ron rolled his eyes.

“Hermione,” he began in a warning tone, his momentary time of peace broken.  He glowered at her but she remained unaffected, the determined look returning to her eyes.  Before she could ask anything or he could tell her to stop a sandy-haired boy appeared at Harry’s side with Dean Thomas and Neville Longbottom.

“What’s Hermione done now, Harry?” Seamus Finnigan chirped, sliding in to the seat on the left of Harry, Dean sitting next to him.  Neville took the seat on Harry’s right and shyly waved to them, which Harry waved back to.

“She’s badgering,” Ron said before Harry could say anything.

Harry raised an eyebrow at Ron.  “I didn’t realize your birth name was Harry,” he said quietly, his dull green eyes beginning to liven a bit with amusement.  “I’ll make sure to remember that next time someone calls for Harry.”  Ron just grinned.

“I am not badgering!” Hermione huffed, straightening up.  “I am merely concerned with how Harry’s doing and just because you’re insensitive doesn’t mean I have to be!”

“I’m insensitive?” Ron spluttered, turning in his chair and looking indignantly at her.  “What is that supposed to mean?”

Harry immediately tuned them out, shaking his head and letting his gaze wander.  Beside him, Dean and Seamus began to place bets on who would win this argument and Neville was talking quietly to Ginny, who had just arrived.  He spared a quick smile, which she returned, blushing.  Across him, Ron and Hermione were beginning to get really heated.  They had been having little spats the entire trip, when Hermione wasn’t questioning him about his well being.  He really hoped they both finally came to their senses this year and got together or he would be forced to either hang himself or lock them in a closet.

‘ _Hopefully, the situation won’t call for drastic measures like that_ ,’ he thought a bit dryly, his green eyes traveling over the Great Hall.  That’s when he noticed the other students.

He had been so preoccupied with his friends that he hadn’t noticed the actions of the other students and now that he had, he wished he had kept his attention on his best friends.  Watching some of his own housemates avoiding his eyes and sitting away from him stung and seeing the students at the other houses looking at him, whispering and pointing, only aggravated him.  They clearly didn’t like being around him or didn’t trust him.

He turned his gaze down, feeling weary.  ‘ _Wonderful_ ,’ he thought a bit bitterly.  ‘ _Bet Malfoy is going to have a field day with all this._ ’  Automatically, his eyes lifted and went straight to the Slytherin table, ready to see the sneering blond, Draco Malfoy, his rival.

He blinked.

Instead of meeting with contemptuous gray eyes as he usually did, he was met with the backs of Malfoy’s little court.  The blond wasn’t there.

“Where’s Malfoy?” he murmured, unthinkingly, aloud.  The other Slytherins were there but the blond was obviously missing from their group.

Ron stopped in the middle of arguing with Hermione and blinked in confusion.  Raising an eyebrow, he looked at the Slytherin table.  “Oh yes,” he quietly cheered, hope rising in his eyes.  “Please, _please_ tell me that Ferret Boy won’t be here this year.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Hermione commented, also turning around to look at the Slytherin table.  “I heard that some parents didn’t send their kids back because of what happened last - ” She cut off abruptly, shooting Harry a nervous look.

But Harry hadn’t heard her.  He just stared at the Slytherin table, slightly stunned that his rival was missing.  ‘ _He’s…gone?_ ’ he thought bemusedly, blinking.  ‘ _No more Malfoy?  Well…one less thing to stress about._ ’  For some reason, the thought didn’t cheer him as much as he thought it would have.  The idea of Malfoy missing from his daily life seemed…wrong…somehow.  He sighed and turned his head to the Head Table.  He waved and forced a smile to Hagrid, who was sitting next to Professor Sinistra.  Then he blinked.

“Snape and Dumbledore are missing too,” he muttered, turning to his friends again.  Hermione looked over at the Head Table but Ron looked even more ecstatic.

“Yes!” he half-shouted.  “Two gits in one year!  No more bloody Slytherins!” Ron grinned at Harry and he forced a grin back at his red-haired friend.

“Don’t celebrate just yet,” Hermione said dryly, pointing to the Head Table.  Ron and Harry turned…

…and Ron promptly groaned when Professor Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin House and Potions Master, glided out from the door behind the Head Table.  Following him was Headmaster Dumbledore and behind him was a tall, cloaked figure who had their hood pulled all the way up so you couldn’t see their face.  And behind them was Draco Malfoy.

‘ _Malfoy?_ ’ Harry thought confusedly, blinking as the tall – he had grown over the summer – blond boy arrogantly nodded to Dumbledore and Snape and began walking to the Slytherin Table.  Their eyes met for a moment and Malfoy stopped in his tracks, his pale eyes holding Harry’s calmly.  Then he sneered at him, contempt filling his gray eyes.

Harry scowled and turned his face away from his smirking rival, who resumed his way to the Slytherin Table where he promptly sat down.  ‘ _Bugger_ ,’ Harry thought, annoyed, firmly keeping his eyes away from the Slytherin table and on his own.  ‘ _Now I’m really beginning to wish he **had** left. Don’t know why I even thought I would miss the git._ ’  He was pulled from his irritated thoughts by the sound of Dumbledore tapping on his goblet.

“Welcome!” Dumbledore beamed at everyone.  The hall immediately became silent.  “I apologize for the wait but some matters had to be taken care of and now that they are, let us proceed with the Sorting.”

Professor McGonagall went in front of the Head Table and put the Sorting Hat on the stool already set up.  As the Sorting Hat gave its song and began to Sort the students, Harry wondered how he could have failed to realize that the Sorting had not taken place yet.  He shrugged and returned his attention to the Sorting in time to see “Nadin, Raphael!” become Ravenclaw.

“Oh, hurry up, I’m starving,” Ron grumbled, looking longfully at the empty plates.  Harry shook his head as Hermione began to admonish Ron in a reprimanding whisper.  Ron shot him an agonized look but he merely shrugged, looking at the Sorting.  He didn’t catch the worried look exchanged between Ron and Hermione.

Finally,  “Zebie, Daniel!” became a Hufflepuff, and McGonagall took the Sorting Hat and stool away.  Dumbledore once again stood up, beaming at them.

“Once again, welcome to another year at Hogwarts,” he said, his blue eyes twinkling.  “I hope you’ve all had a restful and relaxing summer despite the circumstances we find ourselves in.”  There were some snorts of disbelief from the students but the Headmaster ignored them.  “Now then, I’ll just lay down the basic rules that the past students should remember and our new students should take to heart.  No magic in the corridors or any other type of object that might be found in Mr. Filch’s list of banned items.  Yes, that means your new items, Mr. and Mr. Weasley,” he said, eyes twinkling as he looked at the sulking Weasley twins, Fred and George.  Chuckling slightly, he continued, “There is a curfew so be sure to know what time it is required for you to be back in your common rooms.  No one is allowed to enter the Forbidden Forest for any reason.  And, of course, with the rise of Voldemort once again - ” - some people shivered at this – “ – new security measures have been put up to ensure your safety so please do not step out-of-bounds without permission unless you wish to encounter some rather unpleasant surprises.”  Once again, he looked pointedly at the Weasley twins who were looking more wary than worried or disappointed.

Dumbledore looked around and smiled again, this time more gently and reassuring.  “I’m sure many of you have noticed that some students have not returned this term for fear from their parents that Hogwarts is not a safe enough place,” he said quietly, his blue eyes taking them all in.  “I’m sure many of you who _have_ returned doubt the safety of this castle because of the tragic incident last June.”  Harry heard a sniffle that suspiciously sounded from the Ravenclaw table but he did not turn to it, instead firmly focusing on Dumbledore and his words.  “However,” the Headmaster said quietly, still smiling, “I assure you that we are quite safe here.  I’m very much aware of the danger in the world and over the summer I have had our wards strengthened to protect each and every one of you.  I give you all my word that you are safer here than you possibly know.  You will not need to fear Voldemort so long as I am here.”

Nobody clapped as soon as Dumbledore finished speaking but the tension that had emitted from the students was less.  The soothing words of their Headmaster had obviously calmed their fears for their moments and now the students eased more into their chairs and looked at their Headmaster in relief and gratitude.  Dumbledore smiled at them and even Harry, for a moment, felt the heaviness that seemed to follow him everywhere, ease slightly.

“Now,” Dumbledore said quietly, blue eyes still twinkling.  “I think you are all quite wondering who your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is going to be.  In an effort to unite all the magical creatures and people, we have an ambassador who will be staying with us this year.  I would like all of you to show her the same respect and courtesy that you would should any member of this staff and anyone who does not will be dealt with that according.”  He turned to his right and the hooded figure stood up, lifting pale hands to push down the hood.

The dark blue hood fell down to reveal a smiling, pale face framed with golden hair that framed her face.  People looked curiously at her and she smiled a bit more revealing her teeth.

Her fanged teeth.

People gasped, some crying out and others leaning as far away as they could from the Head Table as possible.  Across him, Harry heard Ron curse “Bloody hell!” and Neville squeaked while Hermione just stared wide-eyed.  Harry just looked on quietly, mistrust in the new DADA teacher already growing.

“As some of you may have noticed, Professor Marylin Opacre is an emissary for the vampires,” Dumbledore said calmly, obviously ignoring the horror in the room.  “She is a guest and will be one of your professors for the year.  You will show her respect and listen to what she has to say.”  He smiled at the stunned group of students.  “I think it best for all of you to remember me saying that all of you are in the safest place possible, and that includes safety from your professors.  Professor Opacre is here to teach you, not harm, so do not hasten to rash actions.  And the Ministry has approved her being here,” he added as students begin to whisper, “so do give your new DADA teacher a chance.”  He smiled brightly at them.  “Now, let feast begin,” he ended cheerfully and clapped his hands, causing the golden plates to fill.  The blond vampire sat down as soon as he did and immediately began talking to him quietly.

“Bloody hell,” Ron said, half-awed, half-frightened.  “A vampire for a teacher.  He’s lost it.”

“Ron, don’t be so biased,” Hermione reprimanded, but she too glanced uneasily at the vampire.  “I’m sure Dumbledore knows what he’s doing.  Don’t you think so, Harry?”

Harry didn’t say anything, looking hard at the vampire woman.  She had stopped smiling but was still talking with Dumbledore in low tones and he could almost make out her fangs when she opened her mouth.  ‘ _A vampire_ ,’ he thought, looking at the blond woman.  ‘ _Well, Lupin is a werewolf and he’s nice enough.  Why not a vampire?_ ’  He kept looking at the woman however.

“Harry?” Hermione questioned softly, looking at him when didn’t say anything.  “Harry, are you all right?”

‘ _Dumbledore trusts her_ ,’ he thought, looking her over.  ‘ _But he trusted Moody too and look how that turned out.  Still…something about her…should I trust her or not?_ ’

“Harry?”  Now Ron entered, raising an eyebrow at him when he kept silent, not touching the food.  His forehead furrowed and worry slightly entered his eyes.  “Mate, you okay?”

‘ _So many people_ ,’ Harry thought, watching as the blond vampire lifted her goblet to drink.  ‘ _Why should I trust her?  I shouldn’t, really, I don’t even know her and DADA teachers always have the worst luck of being untrustworthy.  Still…there’s something about her…’_

“Harry?”

He sighed and opened his mouth to tell his friends he was fine when Professor Opacre lifted her eyes from her plate.

Blue eyes met green eyes.

Blue eyes widened slightly as green eyes flickered.

Then Harry’s mind went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I will be replacing most of the 'Mione's with Hermione. As I vaguely recall Hermione did not like that nickname. Also: ellipses. All those ellipses. Why, past Shades, why.


	3. Eyes and Prejudice

Everything had gone dark.

He couldn’t see anything, the Great Hall had disappeared and there was nothing to see.   He wasn’t afraid though.  In the back of his mind, he felt like he should be but he wasn’t.  There was nothing, no feeling, no sight…just pure darkness.  There was nothing but the dark…and then he saw the blue eyes.

Blue eyes.  Bright blue eyes.  Blue eyes that laughed with him.  Sky blue eyes that seemed to tease him with something.  Blue eyes that loved him.  Baby blue eyes that were soft and comforting, like a sister. Blue eyes that seemed like something from the past.

Then they grew darker, a darker shade of blue.  A darker blue that mocked in a friendly manner.  A darker blue that held amusement in them, amusement that annoyed him…in a good way?  Harry didn’t understand.  He just knew that these darker blue eyes captured him, held him…so familiar…so warm…

“HARRY!”

He blinked.

Ron and Hermione were looking at him worriedly.  Blinking again, he looked around and saw Dean, Seamus and Neville eyeing him.  Glancing up at the Head Table, he saw the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher chatting contently with Professor Sprout.  He turned back to his friends, his mouth opening and closing.  Then he sighed and closed his eyes, pressing the palms of his hands against them.  Something had happened.  His head was pulsing, pounding so much that he felt like his head might explode.  He didn’t know what just happened but _something_ had happened.  He remembered looking at the vampire and everything going dark…and then Ron called his name.  He took in a deep, shuddering breath, trying to push away the throbbing that seemed to fill up his head.

“Harry, are you alright?  Should we get Madame Pomfrey?  Ron, go call McGonagall, I think there’s something wrong with Harry,” Hermione ordered quickly, looking at Harry worriedly.  Ron nodded uncertainly, beginning to stand up but Harry shook his head quickly, dropping his hands from his face.

“No,” he said quietly, taking in another deep breath and opening his eyes.  “No, I’m fine.  There’s no need to go running to Pomfrey.  I don’t want to start my hospital visits this early in the school year.”  He forced a smile, trying to reassure them he was all right even though he wasn’t sure if he was.  Ron sat back down but continued to look worriedly at him.  Harry forced his smile to look more real.  “Really, I’m fine.”

“Harry,” Hermione said slowly, like a parent explaining something difficult to a child, “you just blanked out for three minutes, not responding to us even though we were practically shouting your name!”  The bushy-haired girl frowned deeply, her brown eyes looking anxiously at him.  “There might something wrong with you, you should really - ”

“I said I’m fine,” Harry interrupted, a bit harshly.  The brown-haired girl’s eyes widened, hurt clear in them as she leaned back in her seat.  She lowered her eyes to her plate and Harry immediately felt guilt wash over him.  Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair.  “I’m sorry,” he said quietly, looking down at his plate.  “I…I just got a headache.  I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

“It…it’s nothing to do with…with You-Know-Who…does it?” Ron asked, looking at him a bit nervously.   Harry shook his head without lifting it from his plate.  Whatever had just happened had nothing to do with Voldemort, of that much he was certain of.

“I just haven’t been getting a lot of sleep lately, that’s all,” he murmured, picking at the food on his plate.  “It was bound to catch up to me eventually.”  He slowly lifted a forkful of vegetables and ate them, their taste nonexistent to him.

“Harry, maybe you should really see Pomfrey if you haven’t been getting any sleep,” Hermione said quietly.  Harry glanced up at her and was relieved to see the hurt gone from her eyes.  Now the brown eyes only shone with concern, and he sighed.

“I’ll be okay,” he replied, forcing another smile.  “Really.  Don’t worry about it.”  Hermione opened her mouth, obviously worrying and obviously intending on arguing with him.  Luckily for him, Ron intervened again with a cough that sounded too much like ‘ _badger’_ for her liking.  Immediately, the bushy-haired Gryffindor turned her annoyed attention on the redhead, who shot a grin to Harry.  Harry grinned back, silently expressing his gratitude.

“Are you really all right Harry?”  Neville asked to the right of him, his eyes looking at him nervously.  Harry sighed in frustration and rolled his eyes to the ceiling.

“If one more person asks me if I’m all right, I may be forced to do things that I’ll regret later on,” he said mildly, dropping his eyes back down to Neville’s to show that he was just joking.  Neville smiled slightly before turning back to talk with Ginny.

“All right there, mate?” Seamus asked cheerfully to his left.  Harry turned his eyes to his Irish friend slowly, narrowing them when he saw the innocent expression on the sandy-haired boy’s face.  He glowered at his friend for a moment before shaking his head and turning his attention back to his dinner.  He heard Seamus snicker and Dean thwap his friend on the shoulder.

“Oi!” the Irish boy said in a mock-hurt voice.  “Now what did I do to deserve such brutal treatment?”

“Does being born count?” Dean asked sarcastically, pouring himself more pumpkin juice.  Seamus pouted and sniffled.

“Now, that’s not nice,” he whined even though his blue eyes danced with laughter.  “I was just inquiring over a friend’s well-being.  Is that a crime nowadays?”

“It is when I know you asked just to annoy me,” Harry commented absently, his green eyes watching amusedly as his best friends continued to argue heatedly.

“Yeah, well,” Seamus grinned at him.  “What are you going to do about it?”

Harry looked at his friend from the corner of his eye.  His lips twitched slightly but he kept his solemn expression.  He ate another spoonful of vegetables before answering.  “I just think you should know,” he said quietly, “that I know where you sleep at night and I tend to go to sleep after you.”  He ate another spoonful of vegetables calmly while Seamus leaned away from him and towards Dean.

“Dean, help me,” Seamus stage-whispered.  “I have a midget after me.”  Harry glared at him before turning his attention back to his friends, idly wondering if he should break them up now.  Sometimes they tended to get very heated in their verbal spars and while he doubted they would hex each other, he didn’t want them shouting and bringing McGonagall or Snape to them and costing Gryffindor House some points before the school year began.

He heard Dean say, “I would think you would be more worried about our new professor than our old friend.”  Harry looked at them and saw them glance at the vampire professor, who was calmly talking with the Muggle Studies witch.

Seamus shivered and nodded fervently.  “I think you’re right,” he said in a hushed voice, his blue eyes turning quickly away from the blond.  “What do you reckon?” he asked quietly to his friend.  “Think Dumbledore has really gone mad?”

Dean shrugged, carefully not looking at the vampire.  “I don’t know,” he replied just as quietly, pushing around his mashed potatoes thoughtfully.  “Could be…I mean, I know Lupin was nice and all but he wasn’t a blood-sucking monster.”

“What makes you think she is?”

Dean and Seamus jumped, turning to look at Harry who looked just as surprised at having said anything.  He quickly snapped out of it and looked at his friends somberly.

“Like you said, Dean,” he said quietly, his green looking at them calmly but intensely.  “Lupin was nice and he was a werewolf.  What does it matter that she’s a vampire?”

Dean looked uncomfortable but Seamus had no problems speaking up.  “That’s the point, mate,” he said quickly, once again glancing at the DADA teacher.  “She’s a _vampire_.  You know, one of those creatures of the night that chomp on virgin’s necks whenever they get the chance and drain all the blood before turning you into one of - ”

“Now really,” Hermione suddenly interrupted.  The three boys turned to her and saw that she looking at them in annoyance.  She had given up her argument with Ron, who was now chomping on his dinner happily, glad she was going to go off on someone other than him.  There was an irritated and stern look in her eyes as she looked at them.

“I can’t believe all of you are being so biased,” she sniffed, pouring herself some pumpkin juice.  “That’s all a load of hogwash that Muggles come up who don’t know a single thing about magic and you’re all gobbling up their tales like candy.  And besides, what do you really know about vampires anyway?  And I mean facts, Seamus,” she added when she saw the Irish boy open his mouth.  “Not that fiction you read.  I mean things you find in textbooks and the like.”

“Well, you can’t deny they drink blood Hermione,” Dean said, raising an eyebrow.  “Isn’t that part of the definition of being a vampire?  That you have to drink blood?”

“They can drink animal blood as a replacement for human blood,” Harry said in an absentminded voice, picking out the lima beans in his vegetables.  “They don’t necessarily have to drink human blood all the time, too.  They can stave off it for long periods of time if necessary.”  He finished picking the disgusting beans out of his vegetables and was about to eat a satisfying spoonful when he noticed the silence.  He lifted his eyes from his plate and blinked when he saw everyone looking at him oddly.  “What?” he asked defensively, putting down his utensil.

“How did you know that, Harry?” Hermione asked him, a strange look in her eyes.  He opened his mouth to reply but froze.  Blinking, he closed his mouth.  He didn’t know how he knew.  He hadn’t really been concentrating on his answer and it just slipped out, like it was common knowledge.  But from the way everyone was looking at him, it obviously wasn’t.  He shrugged uncomfortably and looked back down at his plate.

“Dunno,” he mumbled.  “I guess I read it in a book somewhere.”  Then he ate his spoonful of vegetables, once again not tasting them.  The silence continued for a moment and he could feel their stares on him, confused and wary stares.  He refused to raise his eyes to meet them though.

“Right,” Seamus said and Harry was glad that he broke the stifling silence.  “Anyway, that doesn’t mean they don’t drink human blood.  I bet it tastes better to them anyway.  What’s to stop her from putting us in detention and sucking our blood to her little fangs’ content?”  Dean snorted.

“Oh come on,” Hermione snapped.  “Do you really think Dumbledore would hire someone who isn’t trustworthy?”

“Well, the last DADA professors weren’t exactly - ” Seamus cut off with a pained yelp and Harry glanced up for a moment to see Ron glaring at the sandy-haired boy, moving slightly in his seat to show that he had been the one to kick.  He saw the redhead jerk his head toward him and Seamus look slightly abashed.  Harry lowered his eyes again.

It was true that the past DADA teachers hadn’t been the most honest of people.  All of them, in one way or another, had lied about themselves and had only been able to teach for a year.  There were rumors that the job was cursed and Harry dimly wondered if this new teacher would last the year.  The silence returned, just as uncomfortable, and lasted to the end of the feast.

Ron and Hermione were once again bickering over something – Harry thought he heard the name ‘Viktor’ in the argument but he wasn’t quite sure – and Harry had to break them up as he pointed out the nervous looking first years who didn’t know where to go.

He followed his best friends, hands in his pockets, watching as Hermione took the lead and began lecturing the poor first years while Ron glowered at his twin brothers who were making jokes about him.  Just before he exited the Great Hall however, he turned around to take one last look at Professor Opacre.  She was standing up and talking quietly to the Headmaster, looking very serious about something.  He looked at her for a moment.

 _‘Is she hiding some secret too?_ ’ he mused silently, looking at her even though she didn’t look at him.  ‘ _Are Dean and Seamus right about her?_ ’  For some reason, he felt as if they weren’t but he didn’t know why.  He continued to look at her, studying at her.  ‘ _What happened?  I looked at her eyes and I **know** something happened…but what was it?_ ’ he thought, slightly frustrated.

“Oi! Harry!” Ron called out over the heads of the first years.  “Do you want to get locked out of the Tower?  Come on!”  The redhead scowled at his brothers who had began make cracks about how much he was sounding like Percy.

He took one last look at the blond vampire woman.  _‘There’s something about her…something familiar…_ ’ he thought, his green eyes looking at her.  Sighing, he turned away and jogged up to catch up to his best friends.  ‘ _I must be imagining things_ ,’ he thought to himself as he caught up to Ron who was snapping at Fred and George.

He didn’t see the blue eyes of the vampire turning to look at his back as he left the Great Hall.  He didn’t see the weighing, considering look in them.

And he hadn’t seen the cold, furious looks Draco Malfoy threw the DADA professor all night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact past Shades went through: I lost count of how many times I looked up Madam Pomfrey's name to make sure I spelled it correctly.


	4. The First Day

_“Lest?”_

_A pale boy with blue eyes looked up from where he was sprawled in an armchair, reading a thick book.  An eyebrow rose and in an amused drawl, he said, “Want me to read you a bedtime story so you can go to sleep?”_

_The dark-haired boy in the bed scowled at the older boy, his eyes glowering darkly.  “Git,” the young boy muttered, burrowing deeper into the blankets of the bed.  The pale boy laughed softly before closing the book, a slender finger marking the page he was at._

_“What is it?” the blonde boy asked, smirking slightly.  The younger boy rolled his eyes._

_“It’s 2:30 in the morning and you’re still up,” the black-haired said slowly, as if speaking to someone with the intelligence of a troll.  “Would you **please** shut that damned light off already, mark the bloody book, and for the love of God, GO TO SLEEP ALREADY!”_

_“You’re going to wake up Myn,” the pale boy laughed as he replaced his finger with a bookmark.  The dark-haired boy just scowled heavily at him and pale boy lifted his hands in a placating gesture.  “Alright, alright.  Enough with the scowling, you’ll get wrinkles.”  The pale boy grinned when the younger boy just scowled more._

_The blonde extinguished the lights, plunging the room into darkness and the black-haired boy heard him moving closer to the bed.  The younger boy scooted away as he felt the covers lift and another body join him in the bed.  As soon as he was sure that the older boy was settled, he scooted away from the edge and closer to the boy._

_“Happy now?” the other boy’s amused voice asked him.  The younger boy just mumbled something, feeling sleep beginning to claim him.  He heard the other boy murmur, still amused, “How come you’re still sharing my bed?”_

_The black-haired boy was already more than half-asleep.  Had he been more awake, he could have replied with something sarcastic or teasing, something that suited his personality.  But he was not more awake and so he answered with the complete and utter truth._

_“Because you protect me from the nightmares,” the young boy mumbled.  There was silence and the boy was already drifting more and more to sleep._

_Just before he fell into the land of dreams however, he felt a hand gently stroke his hair and a soft voice whisper, “I’ll always protect you.”_

\-------

Harry awoke.

For a moment, he just stared up at the canopy of his bed.  He was aware of the morning sunlight pouring in through the window next to his bed, aware of the snores of Ron and Neville, which showed that they were still sleeping.  He was aware that it most likely time to get up for his first day of classes, aware Hermione would come barging in if he didn’t.

But at the same time, he wasn’t aware.

He sat up slowly, blinking and bringing a hand up to his head.  Something woke him up.  One minute, he was blissfully asleep and the next he was staring up at his canopy.  He furrowed his brow, trying to remember what had woken him up.  It wasn’t his scar, he knew that.  The lightning bolt scar was the same as always, not burning greatly under his long black bangs that hid his forehead.  He furrowed his brow even more, racking his mind for a reason as to why he woke up all of sudden.

Sighing, he gave up.  Dropping his hand from his head, he glanced at the clock on his bedside drawer.  It was just about the usual time he got up, albeit a bit earlier.  For a moment, he just sat in his bed and wondered whether or not he should stay for a bit longer.  He could find no reason to so he dragged himself out of his warm bed and stood up, walking over to his trunk to get out his uniform.

He quickly got changed and glanced at the clock again.  Seeing that it was now the time he usually woke his best friend up, he walked over to the snoring redhead’s bed.  On his way to Ron’s bed, he passed the window and saw his reflection.

He stopped and stared.

He just looked at his reflection for a few moments, taking in what he saw.  Clothes that hung limply on him covered his pale skin, slightly golden from the hours of working in his relative’s backyard.  His cousin’s hand-me-down’s just emphasized how thin and small he was, easily the smallest boy in his class.  He studied himself a bit longer, noting how his messy black hair was a bit longer than usual, curling at his neck and an inch from his shoulders.  His green eyes were dull and hidden behind his banged-up glasses and he saw how they looked a little lost.  His scar was barely visible under his fringe and he absently ran a hand through his hair, making it messier than usual.  He noted how his face seemed a bit more hollow, gaunter than it was last year.

‘ _No wonder Ron and Hermione were so worried,_ ’ he thought, looking at his reflection.

Sighing, he turned away from the sad-looking figure in the window and proceeded to wake his best friend up.

\-------

“I think it’s bloody well established that Dumbledore has officially gone off the deep end,” Ron growled, glaring at their new schedules.

They were seated at breakfast and Ron and Hermione had just finished handing out the time-tables to all the Gryffindors.  Now they were looking at their own and Harry was silently agreeing with the fuming Ron.

This year, it seemed Dumbledore – it had to be Dumbledore, Harry just couldn’t see any of the other teachers arranging to do something like this – wanted to promote inter-house relations as well as inter-magical relations.  All the classes of the Gryffindors were doubled with one house or another.  But that wasn’t what had convinced Ron that their beloved Headmaster was truly senile.  Oh no, what had convinced his fiery friend was that fact that almost all their classes were paired with the Slytherins.

Care of Magical Creatures, Charms, Potions, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration…all of them were with the Slytherins.  Oh yes, they had Astronomy and History of Magic with the Ravenclaws, and Herbology and Divination with the Hufflepuffs but it was clear that the Gryffindors had more classes with the Slytherins.

“First he hires a vampire for a professor and now this!” Ron raged, scowling darkly at their schedules.  “It’s like he’s planning to kill us!”

“Ron!” Hermione said reprovingly even though she obviously didn’t like the idea any more than him.  “Don’t make comments like that!  Dumbledore is just trying to get us to work together and not be as biased as we are.  He just wants to help, that’s all.”

“He can help by kicking all the Slytherins out,” muttered Ron as he stuffed his schedule in his bag and glowered at his breakfast.  “Can’t believe he actually wants us to get along with the those sneaking, slimy scumbags.”  He shot a look full of loathing at the Slytherin table, where it was clear that the Slytherins didn’t like this new schedule anymore than him.

“Ron,” Hermione sighed, exasperated, as she poured herself some milk.  “Can you at least try not to pick any fights?  It won’t do Gryffindor any good if we lose points on the first day back.  Though,” she added, a bit gloomily, “we’re likely to do so seeing as we have Potions first thing today.”

Ron growled and viciously stabbed a piece of sausage.

Harry watched his friends over the brim of his cup.  He didn’t like this idea anymore than Ron but he could see why Dumbledore wanted to start it.  With the rise of Voldemort again, it wouldn’t hurt to have as many allies as one could have.  He glanced over at the Slytherin table, where Malfoy was sneering at his schedule.  ‘ _Of course_ ,’ he thought, lowering his eyes to his plate, ‘ _I don’t know if this plan will work.’_

“Oi, Harry, mate,” Ron said suddenly, leaning across the table to look at him.  “Is that all you’re going to eat?”

He looked down at his plate of scrambled eggs – which he had only taken a few bites of and was already full – and small piece of toast.  “Er…yes?” he said, confused.

“Harry!” barked Hermione suddenly from next to him and he jumped, turning in his seat to look wide-eyed at the stern-looking witch.  “That plate isn’t enough to get you through the day,” she said, glaring at him.  “You’re thin enough as it is and if that’s how you plan on eating for the rest of year, it’s going to harm your O.W.L. scores extremely!  Everyone knows you need to have a well-balanced breakfast to keep your mind active enough to concentrate on your studies and a couple of bites of scrambled eggs aren’t going to be enough!”

“Sorry, Mother,” Harry muttered, taking a bite out of his toast.  Ron sniggered and Hermione shot him and Harry dirty looks.

Her annoyance didn’t stop her from serving Harry some sausage and fruits, despite his futile attempts to stop her and she wouldn’t let them go to Potions until he finished everything.

‘ _Women_ ,’ he thought, frustrated.

\-------

It was going to be a bad day.

Harry could tell this from the moment he stepped around the corner to go to the Potions classroom with the other Gryffindors only to find Malfoy and his gang of Slytherin friends lounging near the entrance to the classroom.

“Well, well, well,” Malfoy drawled, his pale eyes glinting malevolently.  “Look what we have here.  It’s the Dirt gang – Dirty Potty, Grubby Weasel, and Filthy Mudblood.”  The Slytherins roared with laughter.

Harry felt Ron tense up when the blonde Slytherin opened his mouth and he grabbed his redheaded friend’s arm before he could lunge towards the smirking boy.

“Ignore him,” he muttered to his struggling friend.  “We’ll just lose points and that’ll just make him ecstatic.”

“That’s right, Scarhead,” Malfoy sneered.  “Tame that little rodent of yours if you know what’s good for him.”  The Slytherins snickered at this and Harry took a deep breath before he let his temper get the best of him.

“We all know who’s the rodent here, Ferret,” Hermione snapped, holding onto Ron’s other arm.  Malfoy’s smirk faded from his face, replaced by a dark look.  Fortunately – or unfortunately, considering – the door to the Potions classroom opened.  Malfoy threw them a scowl before he swept into the Potions lab with his fellow Slytherins.

“Bastard,” Ron growled out, looking hatefully at the blonde’s back.  “I swear to God, he gets more and more annoying every year.”

“And every year we throw it back in his face,” Hermione said calmly, letting go of Ron’s arm and walking to the Potions classroom.  “Don’t let him get to you, Ron.  Just think of how he might get humiliated this year.”

Ron muttered and reluctantly followed Hermione into the classroom.  Harry lingered in the corridor for a moment before sighing and following his friends resignedly.

They sat together in their usual spot in the back as the rest of their classmates hurried in, mindful of Snape’s sneer on them.  He closed the door immediately after the last Gryffindor entered – who unfortunately was Neville – almost clipping his heels.  Neville squeaked and hurried to the back, sliding into the last available seat beside Hermione, who looked reassuringly at him

Snape called roll quickly and as soon as he was done, he smiled maliciously and drew out another piece of parchment.  Harry immediately got a sinking feeling in his stomach.

“Well, we’re back for another year,” Snape said softly, his black eyes glinting.  “Hopefully, for some, this will be our last joyous year together - ” – at this he looked directly at Neville, who blushed and looked down at the table – “ – and for others, they will no longer have to deal with those less intelligent.”  At this, he looked pointedly at the Gryffindor side of the room.  The Slytherins laughed and Harry heard Ron crack his knuckles.

“Yes, well,” Snape continued, his lips curling into an unpleasant smile.  “Until that happy day comes, I have to continue to deal with you all.  And I have decided – and at Dumbledore’s request as well – that in order to try and make some of you not make me look an incompetent teacher in the O.W.L. exams, I will decide where you all sit.”  He picked up his parchment.  “In other words, seating chart.”

There were groans from the Gryffindor side of the room and Harry mentally sighed, the leaden feeling in his stomach growing even more.  ‘ _Maybe I shouldn’t have let Hermione force-feed me_ ,’ he thought as he warily eyed the parchment in Snape’s hand.

“When I call your name, sit next to your partner.  These seats will be for the rest of the year and are non-negotiable under any circumstances.  Now,” Snape said, smiling even more unpleasantly, “Let’s begin.”

\-------

“It looks like I’ll be doing all the work this year,” Hermione sighed as they trudged from the Potions classroom to their next class.  “Working with Goyle…it’s like trying to work with a two-year-old on advanced physics!”

“Don’t give him so much credit,” Ron grinned.  His grin faded and he looked sympathetically at Harry.  “Besides, you don’t have it as bad as Harry here.”  He grimaced.

Hermione looked over at him and her irritation was quickly replaced by sympathy as well.  “I’m sorry about that, Harry,” she said compassionately.  “Stuck with Malfoy for the entire year…I just hope he doesn’t ruin your learning too much.”

“Don’t remind me,” Harry mumbled as they walked out of the Entrance Hall and headed towards Hagrid’s cabin.  Before Snape had even called out his name, he had a bad feeling that he already knew whom he would be paired up with.  And sadly enough, the first pairing to be called was him and Malfoy, right in front Snape’s desk.  Hermione had ended up with Goyle and Ron with Crabbe.  Poor Neville had been paired up with Pansy and was now sitting behind him and Malfoy.  At that point, Harry had revised his opinion about today being a bad day.

It was going to be a bad year.

At first, he had been planning on ignoring Malfoy and his comments.  Unfortunately, Malfoy quickly switched to different methods and started flicking ingredients at him whenever Snape’s back was turned.  Harry was surprised he hadn’t cracked any of his teeth as he had been grinding them while trying to work on his healing potion and ignoring Malfoy and Snape’s comments.

‘ _It can’t get any worse than this_ ,’ he thought tiredly as he waited with his friends for Hagrid to show up.  Everyone was already there, having trudged from Potions together.  The Slytherins were jeering at him and his friends but fortunately, Ron hadn’t noticed as he was once again bickering with Hermione.

“I just don’t see the point of it, I’m not planning on being a bloody Healer,” said Ron in annoyance.  Hermione glared at him.

“Just because you don’t plan on being a Healer doesn’t mean you shouldn’t know the basics of simple healing potions,” Hermione sniffed.  Snape had told them that this year they would be focusing on healing potions, both for mind and body.  Today they had brewed a basic potion for healing minor infections.  (Harry’s had been going alright until Malfoy had dropped an extra diamond-lily weed, which caused it to turn bright yellow instead of a soft violet.  Needless to say, Harry had gotten a low score today.)

“Bloody hell, why should I when I can just get someone else to do it?” muttered Ron.  Hermione narrowed her eyes even more but before she could say anything, Hagrid came over to their class.  She shot one last dirty look at Ron before sniffing and turning her full attention on Hagrid.  Ron rolled his eyes and looked at Harry in frustration.  Harry just shrugged at his friend and looked at his half-giant friend.

“Good, yer all ‘ere,” Hagrid said, beaming around at their class.  “Got a special treat for yer all today.  Thought might do a project with it fer the firs’ quarter.  Come on, somethin’ real good.”  He turned and began walking towards the Forbidden Forest, the apprehensive class following reluctantly.

Their reluctance turned to surprise, then curiosity as they saw tethered horses near the edge of the forest.  There were about fifteen of them, different colors and breeds.  But it was clear what they were with their wings.

“Winged horses!” Hagrid said brightly, beaming even more.  “Some are from a flock jus’ passin’ by and others are from Hogwarts grounds.  None of ‘em are dangerous so for the firs’ lesson, thought I’d see how ya’ll react with ‘em.  So, off you go!”

For a few moments, the students just looked nervously at the winged horses.  Hagrid’s happiness began to dim a bit but Harry quickly went forward before his friend could become even more depressed.  Hagrid beamed at him, Ron and Hermione as they went towards the horses, which were shuffling nervously.  They cautiously approached a bright white one and began to pet it.  The horse seemed to like it and immediately began nuzzling their hands, not showing any sign of being hostile.  The class was immediately reassured and within minutes, every winged horse had a few students patting it.

“That’s it!” Hagrid shouted, looking beyond pleased.  “’Ere, some of ‘em like sugar cubes and carrots.  Makes ‘em real friend-like.”  Each student took a couple of sugar cubes and carrots and for possibly the first time in Care of Magical Creatures, the students were having fun.

Harry patted the neck of the white horse he and his friends had first gone to.  He let his eyes wander around, watching all the horses enjoying the treatment they were getting.

He blinked.

There was one horse, a small black one with large wings that had no one petting him.  It stood quietly, the closest near the Forest, watching the other horses with large, sad-looking eyes.  No one was even looking at it and Harry was walking towards it before he knew it.  He had seen this type of horse before.  When he had first seen the carriages again this year, he had seen them attached to this type of horse instead of being pulled by the usual invisible force that seemed to drive them.  He hadn’t thought anything about it, figuring Dumbledore must have his reasons.  The horse’s ears twitched, eyeing him as he walked closer to it.  A spark of hope seemed to fill those large, dark, sad eyes and Harry felt a twinge in him.

 _‘Why isn’t anyone near him?_ ’ he pondered, looking at the black horse.  He cautiously reached out to stroke the muzzle of the horse, wondering if he was untouched because he was violent.  That didn’t seem to be the case though because the small winged creature immediately began to nuzzle his hand, its large eyes expressing its joy at being touched.  Harry smiled and offered a sugar cube, which was immediately licked eagerly by the small horse.

He laughed lowly, the animal’s tongue tickling the palm of his hand in a not unpleasant manner.  He smiled a bit more and began to pet it more.  ‘ _Beautiful_ ,’ he thought, looking fondly at the happily licking horse.  ‘ _He doesn’t deserve being alone like this…why wouldn’t anyone touch him?’_

A pale hand joined his in stroking the horse.

He jerked, snapping his head to the side.

Draco Malfoy was gently petting the winged horse, not looking at him.

Harry glared at him.  ‘ _Wonderful_ ,’ he thought darkly.  _‘Probably came here just to torture this poor thing and me at the same time.’_

Malfoy didn’t say anything though.  He didn’t even appear to notice that Harry was there.  His pale eyes were locked on the horse.  Harry looked at him a bit closer and blinked.  There was pain in his gray eyes.  Pain, anger, hatred, bitterness…all of it was in his eyes.

He looked at Malfoy oddly.  ‘ _Why?_ ’ he thought, confused.  ‘ _Since when did Malfoy become human?’_ He continued to look at the Slytherin but the pale boy refused to acknowledge him.  Sighing, he gave the black horse one last pat, then turned to head back to his friends.

He froze.

The entire class was staring at him.

‘ _Oh no_ ,’ he thought, looking at them all staring at him as if he were insane again.  ‘ _What did I do now?’_

“Alright,” Hagrid suddenly said loudly, grinning slightly.  “Well, seems you got yer horse for the quarter, Harry.”

\-------

“Threstrals,” Hermione said enviously as they walked from Hagrid’s hut to the Great Hall.  “Oh, I bet they’re fascinating creatures.  So little is known about them, given the circumstances.  You’re so lucky, Harry.”

Hagrid had explained to the class that Harry was not delusional and petting thin air but was rather petting a certain type of winged horse, called a Threstral.  The black horse was invisible to anyone except those who had seen death with their own eyes.  He explained that they were employed here at Hogwarts to pull the carriages so that in case of any attack, they would have the element of surprise to the attackers.

“Yeah, lucky,” Harry said quietly, staring at the floor and feeling his temper begin to rise slightly.  After he explained that to the class, Hagrid had immediately begun to break them into groups for the quarter project.  Ron and Hermione fortunately got to be in the same group that was to study the white winged horse they had first touched.  Harry wasn’t so fortunate.

Apparently, since he could see the Threstral, Hagrid decided to assign him to that horse.  Unfortunately, since Malfoy could also see the horse, he was assigned the same horse.  Neville and a Slytherin boy by the name of Blaise Zabini also got assigned the Threstral since they had accidentally let on that they could see it as well.

That didn’t matter much to him.  He would have been fine with everything if it were just those two.  But he was stuck with Malfoy, **again.**   Not only would he have to deal with Malfoy in Potions for the entire year, now he had to deal with the arrogant git for the first quarter as well.

Lucky.  Right.

“I’ve read so many things about Threstrals,” Hermione continued on, apparently oblivious to Harry’s growing anger.  “They’re apparently wonderful protectors, once you have their loyalty of course, and there are so many myths and legends surrounding them.”  She sighed.  “I so wish I could see them.”

It was a little comment.  But it was enough to break his temper.  He immediately rounded on her, his green eyes flashing with anger.

“You want to see them?” he hissed, his green eyes flashing with pain and fury.  “Go see someone die first.  Really, go Hermione, because that’s the only damn way to see them!  Yes, I’m really lucky to see them, so bloody lucky.  I’m lucky Cedric died right in front of my eyes so I could see them!  I should thank him for that, shouldn’t I?  Or maybe I should thank Voldemort for murdering him right in front of my eyes?”

Hermione had stopped walking the minute he had turned around and now she was looking at him, wide-eyed and pale.  Ron had also stopped, staring worriedly at him.

“H..Harry,” she stammered, looking pained, “I…I didn’t mean it like that, really, I was just - ”

“Forget it,” he said shortly, turning around quickly and storming to the Gryffindor table.  He heard Ron and Hermione follow him silently.

He silently poured himself some pumpkin juice, avoiding his friends’ eyes.  Already he was beginning to feel the guilt of snapping at Hermione.  ‘ _She wasn’t doing it on purpose_ ,’ he thought, looking down at his plate.  ‘ _I know she didn’t mean to make fun of Cedric…_ ’

Without lifting his eyes, he muttered, “I’m sorry.”  He blinked and looked up because Hermione had said the same thing at the same time.

“It’s not your fault,” they said at the same time and they both grinned slightly.  Hermione’s grin faded and she looked seriously at him.

“Harry,” she said softly, “I’m sorry about what I said.  I spoke without thinking and I should have realized why you could see them.  I was just so caught up in the moment that I didn’t realize - ”

“It’s okay,” he interrupted, forcing a smile.  “I know you didn’t mean it like that.”  Hermione looked at him worriedly and he looked down at his plate.

“Harry,” she began but he shook his head.

“Don’t,” he muttered, pushing around the food on his plate.  “Just…don’t talk about it please.”

“But - ” Hermione began again.  Fortunately, Ron came to his aid by laying a hand on her arm and shaking his head.  Hermione glared at him slightly but the redhead just looked at her.  She let out a frustrated breath but thankfully remained silent.  Harry shot his friend a grateful look that Ron returned with a grin.

“Boys,” sniffed Hermione.  Then she saw his plate.

 _‘What is it, her time of the month?_ ’ Harry thought incredulously as he watched her load up his plate with more food.  “Thank you, Mum,” he said sweetly.  Hermione just sniffed and took out a book.  He looked pleadingly at Ron but the redhead just smirked.

“You’re on your own, mate,” Ron joked.

“Thanks,” he muttered.  Sighing, he began the task of finishing what Mother Mione had served him.

\-------

“I wonder if the smell of Quirrell’s garlic is still around,” Seamus muttered as they took their seats in their last class of their day.  The Irish was sniffing the air hopefully and Dean rolled his eyes as he sat down next to his best friend.  Harry, however, noticed that Dean also sniffed the air when he thought no one was looking.

All the class was seated, nervously waiting for their new DADA teacher to appear.  They had all arrived to an empty class and had pulled out their books.

“Wonderful,” Ron muttered, eyeing the doorway nervously.  “We’re the first victims.”

“Oh, don’t be so melodramatic,” Hermione snapped.  Ron glared at her

“Guys, can you bicker about that later?” Harry asked quietly, flipping through his textbook idly.  “I kind of don’t want to get on the bad side of this teacher.”

“Oh, Harry,” Hermione said, looking disbelieving at him.  “Don’t tell me you believe him?”  Ron looked at her indignantly and Harry smiled faintly

He shrugged, the smile fading from his face.  “I don’t know her,” he said quietly.  “So I don’t know whether or not I should trust her.  I would rather get an impression of her without her disliking me.  If she dislikes me, she’ll most likely do things that won’t make me like her and that won’t help me to see if she’s trustworthy or not.  ”

Silence met his statement and he raised his eyes from his textbook to see Hermione and Ron eyeing him.  “What?” he asked bemusedly.

“Since when did you get so…smart?” Hermione asked, looking bemused herself.  Harry blinked.

“Gee, thanks,” he muttered, slouching in his chair.  Hermione grinned a bit and ruffled his hair.  His eyebrows shot up and he looked in surprise at her, along with Ron.  She blushed.

“Sorry,” she said, looking at her desk.  Harry shared a look with Ron.

He leaned towards Ron and whispered, just loud enough for Hermione to hear, “When did she become my mother?”  Ron snickered and Hermione squawked.

He looked at her innocently when she glared at him.  She opened her mouth, obviously intent on berating him.

She froze.  Her mouth closed.

Harry furrowed his brow in confusion.  Then he noticed the sudden silence in the room.  Turning slightly in his seat, he looked at the doorway.

Professor Marylin Opacre stood, relaxed, against the door frame.


	5. Explanations

The class was silent.

A long moment passed in which she gazed at the wary – and in some cases, frightened – group of teenagers.  Her clear blue eyes passed by each and every one of them and she saw many of them shift uncomfortably, most likely feeling as if their souls were being carefully examined, piece-by-piece.  She supposed they were, in a way.  The moment felt like an infinity.

Finally, she straightened from the door frame and quietly made her way to the podium next to the cherry wood desk.  Each pair of eyes in the Slytherin-Gryffindor class followed her, betraying how they felt about having a nosferatu as their new professor.  Some eyes were wary, unsure of how this teacher would turn out.  Others held mistrust, holding their prejudices and the memories of the woman’s predecessors close to heart.  Few eyes were eager to have a vampire for a teacher and others were indifferent.  Two eyes were different though.

As she unrolled the attendance roll, Marylin Opacre subtly looked at one of the pair of eyes, eyes that belonged to a particular student she knew she would have problems with.  Draco Malfoy was scowling deeply at her, anger clear in his quicksilver eyes and she could feel the fury roll off him in great amounts.  As she picked up her quill, she absently thanked her mother for teaching her in early childhood how to read the feelings that emitted from the living and how to minimize their effects.  She doubted she would have gotten this far if she hadn’t learned that particular trick.

She jotted down the name of class and watched as the ink shimmered into parchment a moment before fading away.  While she waited for the attendance list to appear, she glanced quickly at the lone pair of eyes that held neither fear, nor mistrust, nor anger towards her.  Instead they looked steadily at her, calm and serene like the sea.  Yes, there was wariness in them but there was no sign that the boy had judged her already.

The deep, captivating green eyes belonged to none other than the same boy who had paralyzed her during the Welcoming Feast.  She didn’t know who this young black-haired boy was but the minute her eyes had locked onto his, she had felt this surge of something go through her mind, rendering her unable to do or say anything for a minute.  The Headmaster Dumbledore had questioned concernedly after she had barely managed to tear her eyes – and it had felt like tearing her mind – away from the boy.  She had fumbled for an excuse and thankfully the old man had managed to buy it.  For the rest of the night, she had avoided looking at the particular spot where the boy had been sitting.  When she had looked at his retreating back, she had felt the same surge pass through her mind, albeit weaker than the first time, and she had managed not to show any outward sign of it.

‘ _Who is this boy?_ ’ she mused as she watched the list of students that were all enrolled in this class appear on the parchment.  She shook her head and banished the thought.  ‘ _Now isn’t the time_ ,’ she thought firmly to herself.  ‘ _You have a class to deal with and you’re going to need every ounce of mind power to get through it. Focus.  Too much is riding on this to fail._ ’

Taking a deep breath, she called out the first name on the list.  “Lavender Brown,” she said, lifting her head, idly playing with her quill.

A girl on the right side of the class jumped and squeaked.  Marylin turned her eyes toward her and the blond girl paled noticeably.

“Y…yes, Professor?” the young girl said, her voice slightly high-pitched.  The girl next to her tried to subtly hold her hand – obviously meaning to reassure the blond one – and Lavender clung onto it desperately.  Marylin resisted the urge to roll her eyes or huff.

‘ _Right_ ,’ she thought, a bit irritated.  ‘ _First things first.  Can’t teach a bunch of children who are too scared of me having them for my meal.  So…_ ’

She took a deep breath and forced herself to relax.  ‘ _God_ ,’ she thought dimly and a bit bleakly.  ‘ _I can remember a time when I didn’t have to force myself to relax_.’  She banished the thought, focusing back on the task at hand.

“All right,” she said, putting down her quill and leaning forward on her podium while her eyes looked calmly around the class.  “I think I should I make some things clear first because it’s quite obvious to me that most of you do not like the fact that I am your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.”  Some students shifted uncomfortably and she smiled slightly.  “It’s quite alright,” she laughed softly.  “If I were in your position, I most likely would not have come to class.”  At this, some students looked rather guilty.  She grinned a bit.

She stepped away from the podium and walked in front of her desk, which held a variety of items that ranged from protection amulets to random papers sent to her from the vampire families.  She leaned against it and crossed her arms, smiling calmly at the nervous class.

“I understand that most of you don’t trust me,” she said quietly, moving her eyes around the class.  “I understand that most of you have grown up with stories and ideas about vampires, making my kind nothing more than heartless blood-sucking villains who delight in being what they are and have no remorse.  And I understand that given your upraising, you would all rather not have me as your teacher.”

“However,” she continued, still using her quiet voice and continuing to hold the entire class’ attention, “I am your teacher.  And I will be for the rest of the year so I hope you will all get used to it.  I don’t say this to be mean,” she sighed, raising a hand to rub her left temple slightly.  “I just want you all to know that I plan on staying here for the rest of the year.  I don’t want to be a strict martinet as some of your other teachers, who I have already had the pleasure of meeting.  I  hope being friendly with all of you because, to be very frank, this entire professional attitude is definitely not my way.”  She grimaced.  “To be even more honest, I would rather be shopping.”

Silence met this statement.

Then, very hesitantly, quiet little chuckles began to float in the room.

‘ _Thank you, Hélène_ ,’ Marylin silently said to herself, inwardly cheering as she watched some of the students begin to relax.  She hadn’t been lying when she had told them she wished to be friends with all of them or that being so serious wasn’t her way.  Well, mostly.  Over the years, since the beginning of the war, she had become more serious than she had usually been.  Still…that did not mean she liked being so reserved and quiet.  And she _would_ rather be shopping than teaching.

“Well,” she said, smiling slightly, “it seems that at least some of you do have a sense of humor.”  She grinned and straightened up from leaning up against the desk.  “How about we try this roll call once more?  This time without the squirrel imitations, yes?” she joked, walking back over to her podium.  More students laughed this time and her smile began to become more real.

“Alright, I think we’ve already got Ms. Brown down,” she said, checking off the name.  “Let’s continue…” She began to call out names and made a note of pinning a face by each name.  As the names continued to be checked off, she noticed something in the way the class was organized.  All the students from Slytherin House were on the left side of the room while all the students from Gryffindor House were on the right side of the room.

‘ _How odd_ ,’ she thought as she called out ‘Neville Longbottom.’  ‘ _But then again, didn’t Dumbledore say there was some sort of rivalry between those two particular Houses?  Hmm…an ally with divisions in itself is no good.  This will have to be remedied._ ’

“Draco Malfoy,” she called out without thinking, her mind musing on this new development.  A moment later, she inwardly groaned.

“Present,” the young Malfoy heir said contemptuously, his gray eyes flashing darkly.  Marylin took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly.  She shot the pale boy a look that clearly told him to not push his limits but he just sneered.   Marylin sighed again and shook her head, thinking, ‘ _Hélène, this year will be hell.  If I don’t get some control over this one quickly, the negotiations will fail and this will all be for nothing.  Damn males_.’

Shaking her head, she ignored the young Malfoy’s insubordination and continued to call roll.  She paused however when she heard a quiet voice say, “Here.”

Lifting her head from the roll slowly, she met the eyes of the young black-haired boy.  She looked at him for a long moment, and then glanced back down at the roll sheet.

“Harry…Potter?” she asked softly, raising her eyes again to the boy.  The green eyes narrowed slightly, looking a bit more wary, and she noticed that Hermione Granger and a red-haired boy she did not have name for lean a bit protectively towards him.  She raised an eyebrow but said nothing.  She merely continued to look at Harry for a bit longer.  The boy just met her eyes evenly, still calm and serene and wary and there was that surge again.  She tapped her finger on her podium a few times then shook her head and returned her attention to the roll sheet.  Murmurs began to rise in the classroom but she quickly killed them when she resumed taking attendance.

‘ _So_ ,’ she mused as she called out ‘Dean Thomas,’ ‘ _His name is Harry Potter_.’  Oddly, the name sparked nothing in her while just picturing the boy’s face made her mind flash with something.  She mentally sighed and shook the thoughts away.  ‘ _Whoever or whatever this boy is is not important_ ,’ she thought firmly to herself.  ‘ _There are other things to worry about besides a boy who seems to make my mind flutter.’_

She finished taking the attendance and she rolled it up.  She walked back in front of the class as the roll vanished to wherever the attendance rolls went.  As she smiled kindly at the class, she noticed that almost all of them were more comfortable than they had been in the beginning.   _‘This is good,’_ she thought approvingly.  _‘Let’s hope it stays this way.’_

“I see all of you have your books ready to go,” she said pleasantly, scanning the room to make sure each student had one.  “That’s all very good because we will be using them constantly in the school year. Today, however, we will not be using them so will you all please put them away?”   Murmurs arose at this but each student put their textbooks away with the sounds of papers crackling and bags being closed and opened.

“I’m sorry that you all had to lug those things here,” she said apologetically.  “I wish I could have sent a notice to tell you not to bring them for the first day but I didn’t really know how.  Please know that I apologize for any inconvenience it may have caused you.

“Now,” she continued, smiling and sitting on top of her desk, “For our first lesson, I think all of you should pass with flying colors.  All I want you to do for the entire period is ask me questions.  The lesson begins now.”

She crossed her arms and looked patiently at her class.  For a few minutes, the students just looked at each other in confusion and she saw that some were once again eyeing her warily.  She sighed mentally.

“Well,” she finally said, raising an eyebrow.  “Don’t any of you have any questions you want to ask me?”

Silence again and Marylin was beginning to think that perhaps she should skip this idea and just go straight into the books when the bushy-haired girl, who Marylin identified as Hermione Granger, raised her hand.  She saw the red-haired boy known as Ron Weasley begin to shake his head in warning but Harry murmured something and Ron stopped, although he looked a bit irritated and worried.

“Yes, Ms. Granger?” she smiled, meeting the girl’s eyes.

“Ah…Professor Opacre,” Hermione began, looking slightly uncertain, “When you tell us to ask us questions…do you mean as you questions about DADA this year?  Or questions about you being a…a…”

“A vampire?” she supplied, her eyes twinkling slightly.  Hermione blushed slightly but nodded.  Marylin laughed softly and nodded.  “Yes,” she chuckled.  “That was my idea.”  She looked around the class, who were looking slightly more relieved now.  “I thought that maybe if I corrected some of your misunderstandings about vampires before our year began, I could prevent any unnecessary problems between us.  There will be some things that I will be unable to answer because of the code of my kind but I will try my best and answer any questions you have about vampires. So, once again, please begin the questioning.”  She smiled.

There was silence again but this time it was much shorter and broken by a boy who she identified Seamus Finnegan.

“Are you ever going to bite our necks?” he asked bluntly.  Her eyes widened in shock and the boy next to Seamus groaned and smacked the Irish boy on the back of the neck.  Seamus yelped and rubbed his head while turning to glare at the other boy who had his face in his hands.  Marylin’s lips twitched.

“Ah,” she coughed, pushing back the laughter that just wanted to bubble free, “No, Mr. Finnegan.  I will not be ‘biting your necks’ at any time.  Most vampires can live on animal blood or meat that is extremely rare.”  She saw the boys’ eyes flicker but it was too quick for her to see to whom they had been glancing to.  She ignored it and continued.  “While animal blood is not as nutritious for us as human blood, it does sustain us for long periods of time.”

“But periods end,” a boy she recalled as being Theodore Nott scowled.  “How do we know that animal blood may stop ‘sustaining’ you during one of our lessons and you decide to take a few liters out of us?”

“I am _excolere nosferatu_ , Mr. Nott,” she said, a bit sharply, narrowing her eyes slightly.  “Unlike the other type of vampire, the _incultus nosferatu,_ who only thinks about feeding and killing, I can control my hunger.  If the animal blood stops sustaining me, I do not immediately go looking for the nearest human to satisfy my hunger.  I can hold it long enough to get to my rooms and drink some blood that was _voluntarily_ donated to assist my type of vampire.  I assure all of you, I will _not_ suddenly begin to look at you like a turkey on Christmas Day.”  The students nodded but Marylin could feel their uneasiness.  She noted that Nott was looking slightly smug and she made a mental to keep an eye on him.  She mentally sighed again.

“Listen,” she said dryly, “the house-elves go through a lot of trouble to prepare my meals.  I don’t fancy ruining my appetite and having a bunch of mini elves crying and weeping because I didn’t finish my meal.”  There were a few laughs at this and she smiled in relief, glad that she managed to stop any rifts before they began.

“Does that answer your question if I’m going to ‘bite’ you, Mr. Finnegan?” she asked the Irish boy who was one of the ones laughing.  The sandy-haired boy grinned and nodded, snickering even though Dean Thomas half-heartedly punched him in the shoulder.  He just laughed again.

“Good,” she said, her eyes twinkling.  She looked around the class and her smile broadened when she noticed that more and more students were beginning to loosen up around her.  “Any more questions?” she asked, beaming at the class.  A boy on the left side of the room, Blaise Zabini, raised his hand.  “Yes?”

“How old are you?” the brown-haired boy asked, raising an eyebrow.

She blinked.  “Pardon?”

“Well,” he drawled, leaning back in his chair and looking at her calmly.  “One of the most known things about vampires is that they’re immortal.  Is that true?”

“If your refer to immortal as being unable to die,” she said dryly, “then you’ll have to look elsewhere.  While it is harder to kill one of the undead like myself, it is not impossible.  I won’t tell you how to kill one, however,” she said, her eyes twinkling slightly, “Since I plan on finishing out the year here.  I would like to get my paycheck for this and go for a long trip of shopping.”  There was more laughter at this and she saw a few roll their eyes in good fun.  She inwardly rejoiced.

“Alright, that tells us you’re not immortal,” Blaise continued.  He raised an eyebrow and said, “But that doesn’t tell us how old you are.”

“How old do you think I am?” she laughed.

“Two hundred,” Blaise said straightforwardly.  She blinked, and then looked around the class questioningly.

“Hundred and fifty?” Seamus offered.  Soon, numbers – very _high_ numbers – were being offered from around the classroom.  Her eye twitched and she raised a hand to silence the class.  The class went quiet and she closed her eyes taking a deep breath.

‘ _I_ _forgot that this was one of the pieces of false information that I hate most,_ ’ she thought to herself, annoyed.  Taking a deep breath again, she opened her eyes and looked sternly at her class.

“Next March,” she said in an even voice, “I shall be turning twenty-five.”  The room went dead silent and some of the people turned pale.  She cleared her throat and continued.  “I know that most of you think that by being a vampire, you’re privileged to being young forever.  Unfortunately, that isn’t true.  We do live for a much longer time than wizards and humans but even we have an age limit.  I don’t personally know any vampire that has died of old age but I know that there have been some.  Most die before they manage to reach that point however.

“As for being young,” she continued, smiling slightly, “Well, after a certain age we begin to age much slower.  However,” she sighed, “that age is one hundred and by then, you’re already into wrinkles so what does it matter if it takes you longer to get another one?  In our first hundred years, we age just like any other mortal so…” She looked around the class.  “Does that clear up the answer on how vampires age?  Yes?  Good.  Next question.”

“Oh, by the way,” she said before she called on the next person who raised their hand.  The class looked at her curiously and she smiled sweetly.  “Anyone who thought I was over five hundred had better get a damn good present for my birthday, which is on March 16.”  There was silence.  Then those who hadn’t thought she was over five hundred began to laugh at those who did.  Those who had thought so just smiled sheepishly and Marylin saw the black-haired boy snicker at a pale looking Ron Weasley.

She smiled.  ‘ _Ice broken_ ,’ she thought in satisfaction.

\-------

“I want all of chapter one read by our next class and have review questions 1- 4 done,” she called out to her class as they began to pack up their things and leave.  She smiled and waved at them as they exited her class and beamed when some of them waved back.

‘ _Well_ ,’ she thought, extraordinarily pleased, ‘ _that worked out quite well._ ’  After Seamus and Blaise’s questions, along with her joking manner, the class had relaxed and began firing questions at her rapidly.  One of the students that had asked the most questions had been Hermione Granger and Marylin mentally made a note of her since she was quite above average and well…the questions she asked simply couldn’t be answered.

‘ _She’s going to be quite a student_ ,’ she said, smiling slightly as she looked at her chatting with her two friends, Ron and Harry.  Her smile faded and she looked thoughtfully at the green-eyed boy who was smiling slightly at his friend’s enthusiastic attitude.

Throughout the entire class, he hadn’t asked one question or said one word although his friends had raised their hands at least once.  She had been subtly watching him the entire lesson and whenever someone asked her a question, a strange look appeared in his eyes.  He partly opened his mouth as if to say something but then he shook his head slightly and closed it again.  It had happened almost every single time and she made a careful note of it.

She watched as those three begin to exit this class and suddenly, without thinking, she called out, “Harry?”

The trio stopped and turned around.  Marylin mentally raised an eyebrow at that.  The redhead and brunette were on either side of the green-eyed boy and they were standing almost…protectively.  She made a careful note of that as the three looked at her.  Harry glanced at his friends before stepping forward and saying quietly, “Yes, Professor?”

She smiled faintly and straightened up from her desk, which she had been leaning on.  “Are you still uncomfortable with me, Mr. Potter?”

The boy eyed her then shook his head and said quietly, “No, Professor.”

“I notice you didn’t ask a single question during the lesson,” she said, smiling slightly as she walked towards them.  She looked slightly down at the boy and her mind tingled with something again.  ‘ _What is it about him?_ ’ she mused as she looked at him.

“I…I just didn’t feel like asking anything, Professor,” he muttered.  Then he smiled suddenly and glanced back at his friends, amusement in his eyes.  “Besides, Hermione here seemed to be doing a fine job of asking all the questions in the world.”

“Harry!” the girl squawked as she blushed and glowered at him.  Next to her, Ron laughed and Hermione turned her glare on him.  Marylin watched amusedly as the redhead just continued to snicker.

“Yes, she seemed to be doing that,” she laughed softly.  Harry relaxed and smiled a bit more at her, his bright green eyes looking at her in slight approval.  She looked down at him and in the back of her head she thought, ‘ _Something…something about him…_ ’ She mentally shook her head and gave up.  Whatever it was about this boy didn’t matter at the moment.  She had other things to worry about and besides, she had the rest of the year to figure out what it was about this boy that made her mind tingle.

“Well,” she said, smiling slightly, “Be that as it may, I expect more participation from you in the future, Harry.”  The boy nodded and she grinned.  “Good, now off you go.  I bet all of you are tired from the first day of classes.”  She grimaced.  “I know I really am.”  This elicited another soft laugh from the boy and grins from his friends.  She made shooing motions with her hands.

The boy turned around to return to his friends and without thinking, her hand reached out and mussed his hair.  His head snapped back to her, eyes widening in shock, and she blinked.  _‘Where did that come from?_ ’ she thought bemusedly.  She quickly scrambled for a recovery.

“Sorry,” she said, smiling ruefully.  “It’s a habit of mine to touch people, especially young ones.  I suppose you can say I’m the kind of girl who coos over babies and young children and like to hug them.”

“It’s alright,” Harry said, waving a hand and taking a step back, relaxing slightly.  He smiled shyly at her, then turned around and walked out with his friends.  The redhead was snickering as he followed his friend and Harry glowered at him while blushing slightly.  The brunette just looked at her for a moment before joining her two friends.

Marylin sighed and sagged against her desk, closing her eyes and rubbing them.  ‘ _First day done,_ ’ she thought wearily.  ‘ _Hélène knows how many left_.’  She shook her head and turned around to begin tidying up her desk.

 _‘That glower,_ ’ she thought, smiling slightly.  ‘ _Reminds me so much of Q…y…e…_ ’ Her head snapped around and she stared at the door.

Her breath was gone.  Her heart had stopped beating.  The room was dead silent and she stood, frozen as she stared at the door.

 _‘Qye?_ ’ she thought, shocked to the core.  ‘ _Is he…but Lest said he had been a Muggle…how…_ ’ She trembled and sat back down on the desk.  _‘Is it…can it be possible…_ ’ She continued to stare at the door.  That could perhaps explain the tingle, the only reaction she had to him.  She closed her eyes.  It wasn’t as if she would recognize him by sight anymore.  Not since Lest’s decision.

~~~~

_She waited for her brother in his room, her entire body tense and shaking, all the while praying to Hélène that he had not done anything stupid.  It was more than a hour since he left and she began to sweat.  ‘Lest, you idiot,’ she thought, staring rigidly at the place he had disappeared.  ‘God, you idiot…if you actually did it…’_

_A moment later, Lest popped up in the same place he disappeared.  Her hopes fell as she took in his tired and haggard appearance.  In any other situation, she would have tucked him into bed and made him rest.  Not now._

_“Tell me you didn’t do it,” she said harshly as she took a step forward.  Her brother looked up, his weary eyes looking at her.  His dark sapphire eyes were all the proof she needed._

_She trembled, forcing herself not to cry and think about the little boy she had grown to love.  “I’m changing it,” she growled and turned to walk out of his room and go to hers.  She would get her Gemmae, force Lest to tell her where Qye lived, and change it all.  Maybe she could weaken the blocks enough_ _for it to -_

_A pale hand shot out and seized her wrist tightly.  She stopped and glared at her younger brother who was wavering on his feet but looking firm. He still had their father’s Gemmus in his hand, holding it so tightly that his knuckles turned white._

_“Let go of me, Lest,” she said evenly although she glared darkly at him._

_“I…I won’t let you, Myn,” he rasped, his blue eyes meeting her with his own glare.  “He’s my Carus and I decide what shall be done to him, not you.”_

_“He’s not something to own, Lest!” she shouted, trying to tug her hand away but failing.  Even weak, her brother still managed to hold on to her tightly.  She gave up and just glared more fiercely at him.  “You can’t just mess around with his life like this!”_

_“It’s for his own good,” Lest muttered, wavering again but managing to hold onto her.  “I…I know he’ll hate me for it later…but it’s for his own good.  He’ll die if I bring him here…” His eyes were dark and bleak but Marylin was too furious to care about how her younger brother was feeling._

_“He’ll die if you just leave him there!” she snapped, her light blue eyes flashing.  “Father may_ _have removed the memories of the guests about how Qye looks like, but we still remember.  What’s to stop a higher level Dazain from scanning our minds, see his image, and begin to hunt for him?  What’s worse, he doesn’t even remember!  He’ll be defenseless!”_

_“I’m the only one who knows where he lives,” he muttered.  His eyes were glowing now, intense and beginning to look feverish.  “And I added some wards around his home.  Not enough to stop them…but maybe enough to warn him.  And it’ll take them a damn long time to find him.”_

_“That still doesn’t stop them from seeing what he looks like!” she snarled, tugging fruitlessly from his grip._

_Her brother stilled.  He was quiet for a moment, his eyes haunted.  Then he whispered, “I already thought of that.”_

_Then he was pulling her out his door, through the hallway, down the stairs, to the living room where their mother and father still sat.  Their parents looked up from sitting on the couch and Marylin began to worry as she saw the understanding look in her father’s eyes._

_“Sorry, Soror,” Lest muttered as he wavered on his feet, clutching their father’s Gemmus.  “I have to.”  Then he raised his hand and closed his eyes._

_Marylin felt the surge of power from her brother and Father’s jewel.  She didn’t have the time to block and by the time it was over, she was barely standing from the onslaught of power.  She stumbled, grasping onto a nearby armchair and blinking.  Her mother looked a little windswept as well but her father looked as calm as always, though he looked a bit sad.  She looked up in time to see her brother collapse to the ground, the jewel falling from his grasp.  She rushed to his side and her parents joined her a few moments later.  They carried and tucked the unconscious form of her brother into his bed._

~~~~

It was only the next day that Marylin realized that her brother had erased Qye’s face from her mind.

Marylin sighed and placed her face in her hands.  ‘ _Lest_ ,’ she thought wearily and not for the first time, ‘ _you idiot._ ’  She shook her head and looked back up to peer at the doorway.  For a moment, she just stared at it, wondering whether to get her hopes up.

She sighed and resumed straightening up her desk.  ‘ _You have the entire year to figure it out,_ ’ she thought to herself firmly.  ‘ _And it might not be him.  Don’t get your – or Lest’s – hopes up_.’  Still, she couldn’t help but wonder how her younger brother – or the families – would react to having a wizard in a vampire family.


	6. Feelings

 ‘ _ATTACK ON ROBESMERIAN MALL!  DARK MARK SIGNALED!_ ’

Those were the headlines on the Daily Prophet lying next to Quidditch Through The Ages.  A picture of the blackened and smashed shops found in the wizarding mall, a little ways off from London, showed exactly how destructive a small team of Death Eaters was.  Especially in a crowded place, during the busiest hour of the day for the mall.  The article went on to explain how many casualties were just ordinary citizens who had presumed the mall safe with all its wards and guards.  It even went on to suggest that perhaps Fudge was not the man capable of protecting the wizarding world through these ‘troubling times.’

‘ _Troubling times, right_ ,’ Harry thought a bit bitterly, looking down at the newspaper.  ‘ _War is more like it_.’  He sighed and rubbed his eyes beneath his glasses.  It was Saturday night and instead of working on his Transfiguration essay, as he should have been doing, he was instead staring at the latest of Voldemort’s strikes.  This attack was the biggest since the Diagon Alley Massacre and he couldn’t help but feel a bit bitter and frustrated.

Fudge was a moron.  Simple and clear.  The foolish Minister continued to act as if everything was perfectly under control even though it wasn’t, reassuring the tense and worried magical community that there was nothing to be afraid about.  He had added a few more wards and guards, passed some curfew acts, and had given a bit more power to Dumbledore but other than that...nothing.  The idiot acted as if the threat of Voldemort was nothing!

And look what had happened.  Over sixty dead, some young children, others old wizards and witches.  It took all these people **dead** for the wizarding world to realize that Fudge wasn’t the wizard for the job.  ‘ _They’re all like Cedric,_ ’ he thought bitterly, looking at the moving picture of the ruined wizarding mall.  ‘ _All just people who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.  They’re all people who died because someone was stupid…just like Cedric._ ’

Harry sighed and closed his eyes, slumping back in his chair.  The fire blazed in the Gryffindor common room and for a few minutes, he just sat in his chair, listening the crackling and popping sounds.  It was a little past midnight and he was the last person in the common room, Ron and Hermione leaving just half an hour ago.  They had both argued for him to go bed but he simply didn’t feel tired.  In the end, they had both grudgingly gone to bed after he promised to go to sleep the minute he finished his essay.  Of course, he never said _when_ he would finish it.

Harry smiled slightly, eyes still closed.  Ever since they had returned from vacation, Ron and Hermione had been mothering him constantly, making sure he ate right and got a decent amount of sleep.  He had often seen them share worried looks when they thought he wasn’t looking and he wondered why they worried.  It wasn’t as if he was acting strange…at least, he didn’t think so.  True, he didn’t talk as much anymore to them – or to anyone for that matter – but he didn’t think that would matter.  He still spent the same amount of time with them, he just…didn’t talk.

He sighed and opened his eyes half way, looking at the flames licking at the logs in the fireplace.  He guessed that was why they were worried.  When he talked, he hardly said anything about how he was feeling.  Hermione often asked him how he was and he always answered with a simple “Fine” before changing the subject.  Her annoyed and frustrated looks plagued him for the rest of the day.  He rolled his shoulders uncomfortably, remembering the hurt in her eyes when he brushed off the questions.

‘ _It’s not like I’m doing it on purpose,_ ’ he thought a little defensively, twirling his quill in his hand.  ‘ _I just…so many things…they don’t deserve to be burdened with all of it_.’  He dropped his quill and sighed.  ‘ _And there’s a lot of it._ ’

He looked back down at his essay and let his mind wander through the last two months.  September had flown by quickly and now there was only a week left until Halloween.  All around the castle, decorations of live bats and floating pumpkins filled the school.  Everyone eagerly awaited the Halloween feast but he doubted that anyone was even more eager than the fifth years.

Even though it was barely two months into the school year, the professors in their classes piled homework upon homework every class and the fifth years were barely managing.  Harry knew he was hardly scraping by and he was slightly surprised he could keep up with Quidditch practice at the same time.  Katie Bell had been elected as the new Gryffindor Captain and, although she wasn’t as obsessed or demanding as Wood, she kept a tight and strenuous schedule.  The exhaustion from schoolwork and Quidditch along with restless sleep…no wonder Ron and Hermione made him promise to go to bed early.

He idly drummed his fingers on the table.  One good thing about the huge workload was that he hardly dreamed anymore.  Of course, the exhaustion didn’t stop the dark thoughts plaguing him while he was awake.  Thoughts like why Voldemort had only made two major attacks since his return and where would he strike again.  Thoughts like how much danger were his friends in now that the Dark Lord had come again.  Thoughts like what would he do when he faced his parents’ murderer again.

Of course, other kinds of thoughts sometimes pushed those thoughts away.

For instance, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.  Professor Opacre…despite that he had already spent almost two months in her presence, he still couldn’t figure her out.  In class, she was this semi-professional woman who taught them with an easy-going and joking manner.  Since she was a vampire, she couldn’t exactly teach them real magic but she spent a great of time on the theory of a spell.  She spent at least two days on the theory of the spell, for them to grasp the concept.  Then she assigned them the reading of the spell in the textbook.  It seemed she hadn’t been lying when she had told them that they would be using their books a lot.  By the end of the week, or when she deemed them fit enough to practice, she partnered them up and spent an entire lesson watching them practice the spell.

Spells weren’t all she taught them, of course.  Each week she alternated with different subjects in DADA.  One week it would be spells; the next curses applied to objects and making them study and analyze the curse from afar before proceeding to find the appropriate counter-curse.  The week after that she had them studying a Dark creature and how to combat them.  And all the while, she managed to find time in every week to teach them something new about vampires.  Needless to say, Defense Against the Dark Arts classes were quickly moving from being a class to be afraid of to a class to wait anxiously for.

Harry kept an eye on her in every class, continually reminding himself that he hardly knew her and she might be an adversary.  Still…he couldn’t help but relaxing in her presence.  Her warm manner made him loosen up his guard and he was often at ease at her, despite his attempts to not be.  She seemed to have an interest in him, always making him stay a little bit after class to talk.  Harry flushed a little at this.  The other boys always teased about how Professor Opacre complimented his spells and how she would tousle his hair sometimes.  He was always surprised – and a little confused – as to why she did this but he said nothing.  Secretly, he kind of enjoyed the affectionate touches, strange as they were.

‘ _Who would have guessed a **vampire** could be so friendly?_ ’ he thought amusedly to himself, tapping his index finger on his forgotten essay.  ‘ _No one, I guess…no wonder everyone was so uneasy around at first._ ’  He chuckled quietly.  ‘ _Of course, no one would have guessed everyone here was so wary of her at first if they took a look at us now._ ’

In the course of two months, Opacre had turned everyone’s feeling toward her in the opposite direction.  The cautious, distrustful feeling that had filled the air whenever she was around at first was now an accepting, amused – in a bemused sort of way – feeling.  All the students were now quite used to their joking, odd vampire professor.

 _‘Of course,’_ Harry thought, his slight smile turning into a frown, _‘there are some exceptions.’_

Draco Malfoy.  He obviously detested the fact that Professor Opacre was here, his pale gray eyes watching the blond professor all the time with a hateful light in them.  In all her classes, he always made a point to drawl out a subtle insult to the blond vampire and never hesitated to try and make the other students less friendly towards the nosferatu.  Opacre often cut into the remarks before they could do any lasting-damage to her and although she took points from Slytherin House and gave him detention, he continued to antagonize the vampire.

Harry let go of a frustrated sigh and ran a hand through his hair.  Malfoy.  Now there was another thing to think about altogether.  His Slytherin rival had turned rather…strange.  In almost all his classes he had been paired up with the pale boy and the result was him spending more time with the Malfoy heir than he usually would have.  The Professors seemed to have this new passion for assigning projects and work in pairs and so Harry, instead of happily doing the work by his own in the friendly atmosphere of Gryffindor Tower, found himself in the stuffy library with his rival.

The first meetings had been tense, filled with insults and hardly getting any work done.  However, once they saw their grades begin to fall because of their bickering, they quickly made a grudging truce between themselves to not argue while working on the duo assignments.  Now, two months of homework meetings, they found themselves in an odd sort of routine.  Once they met up, they quickly split up the work and silently worked by themselves, only talking when they asked one another for help.  After finishing the work, they quickly and silently departed after sharing the results.  Sometimes, one would finish before the other and they would have to wait until the other boy finished his work.  Harry usually spent this time working on other assignments but he hadn’t thought the other boy would return the polite gesture.

Therefore, he was quite surprised when the first time he lagged behind, the pale boy had merely pulled out a book and begun reading.  He remembered staring at the Slytherin, his mouth hanging open, until the silver-haired boy had looked up from reading and raised an eyebrow at him.  He remembered flushing and turning back to his work while the other boy had smirked and shake his head slightly before returning to his book.

That meeting had been…strange.  Malfoy hadn’t said one word while Harry had finished up his work and even after they had traded results, he still hadn’t said anything about his lagging behind.  It had stunned the green-eyed boy for quite a few days after that.

‘ _When did Malfoy turn human?_ ’ he pondered to himself, looking into the fireplace.  ‘ _It’s not the same Malfoy I hexed last June.  Or the one at the beginning of the year._ ’ That Malfoy had been a cruel, sarcastic little brat who delighted in tormenting him and his friends.  This Malfoy, though he still made jokes at him and kept his sarcastic remarks, was more…civil.  His insults were at a bare minimum and he had stopped hounding him and his friends.  Whenever they passed each other by, he said nothing unless Ron or someone said something first.  And even those insults were quick, just enough to be a comeback before he strode away from them.  Harry didn’t even think they had a classic Potter-Malfoy fight since coming back to school.

It was…unnerving…to see this less antagonistic side of Malfoy.  He acted almost indifferent towards them and Harry was surprised to feel a bit of disappointment at this lack of hostility.  He actually, if he was honest with himself, kind of – not really much, of course not – missed the interaction between them.

He sighed and rubbed his eyes.  There were so many things to think about.  Voldemort.  Quidditch practice.  The vampire DADA teacher.  Ron and Hermione’s concern for him.   Malfoy’s new attitude.  Schoolwork.

Harry glanced back down at his half-done essay and grimaced.  _‘Of course_ ,’ he thought, slightly annoyed at getting off track, ‘ _right now I have to think about this stupid essay_.’  He sighed and grabbed his quill.  ‘ _Why would I even want to turn hamsters into **slippers**?_ ’

\-------

Marylin sighed and leaned back in her chair, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples.  The Ravenclaw seventh years’ essays were spread out around her desk and she still had about half left to go.  But she had to take a break or she would go **_mad_**.

‘ _It’s like a House full of nothing but Hermione Grangers,_ ’ she thought, staring at the extensive essays.  ‘ _I ask for a short five paragraph essay on how to combat Yetis and what do I get?  Five **feet** of parchment that equal five paragraphs!  All in small print and with correct form!  I didn’t even think it was possible…_ ’ She groaned silently and made a mental note to make a restriction with Ravenclaws concerning length.

She sighed and pushed away the essays.  ‘ _I bet Qye would have been a Ravenclaw_ ,’ she thought absently.  Then she frowned.  Harry was in Gryffindor.  And although he was apt at spells, he was in no ways at all like his studious friend.  She sighed and placed her elbows on her desk, rubbing her temples.

‘ _They’re so alike and yet so different at the same time_ ,’ she thought, staring blankly at her empty chambers.  ‘ _Sometimes, he acts so much like Qye it’s uncanny.  And other times…he’s a completely different person.  Harry is…lighter than Qye was.  Less serious.’_   She sighed and closed her eyes.  ‘ _Maybe when Lest blocked his memories he shifted his personality?_ ’ she thought.  _‘Blocking memories sometimes does that and it was five years that he blocked…but still…there shouldn’t have been this big a change_.’

She frowned.  ‘ _Of course,_ ’ she thought irritably, ‘ _this is all assuming that Harry **is** Qye.  For all I know, Qye might still be with his relatives._ ’

She sighed and leaned back in her chair.  ‘ _Won’t he be in for a surprise_ ,’ she thought humorlessly.  ‘ _One minute, you’re a normal teenager.  The next, you find out your best friend – and mate for life – blocked your memories without your consent._ ’  She barked a short, mirthless laugh.  ‘ _Won’t he be happy?_ ’  She heaved another sigh.

“Stupid Lest,” she muttered, reopening her eyes to look at the unread essays.  “Stupid, foolish, reckless little brother…” She shook her head.

She eyed the essays again before pushing them aside.  She knew the Ravenclaws wouldn’t be pleased to hear that they wouldn’t get their essays back quickly but that’s what they got for being so damn smart.  She smiled slightly as she pulled out a blank sheet of parchment and dipped her quill in ink.

It had been two weeks since she had updated her brother on events going on here and she thought that she might as well send another report.  ‘ _He’ll have my head if I don’t,_ ’ she snorted silently.  ‘ _I don’t think he was too pleased by my last letter, as un-descriptive as it was_.’  She placed the tip of her quill on top of the cream-colored parchment, and then paused.

She still hadn’t told her brother about Harry Potter.  It was two months since she had began to suspect this black-haired boy as being their Qye and yet she still hadn’t said a word about him to her brother.  She looked down at the parchment and sighed quietly.

As she began to give out the details of how the negotiations were going and information Dumbledore was giving, she absently wondered if she should tell Lest about this new development.  If Harry was Qye, him being a wizard would assist in vampire-wizard relations.  ‘ _Of course,_ ’ she thought sarcastically, her quill flashing quickly over the parchment and writing the vampiric symbols, ‘ _It’s going to stir up a hell of fuss.  A vampire’s mate…a wizard_.’  She shook her head and sighed.  ‘ _Best not say anything yet.  Harry might not be Qye and then all that trouble will be for nothing.  Not to mention how Lest would feel…_ ’

As she continued writing her report, she idly wondered what her younger brother was up to.

\-------

The bell rang throughout the household of Number Four, Privet Drive.  Vernon Dursley scowled, looking away from the television next to wife.  His son, Dudley Dursley just continued to slurp on his ice cream while his piggy eyes were trained on the television show, home for the weekend after plowing down one of his classmates.

“Who would be calling at this time of night?”  Petunia Dursley sniffed, her giraffe neck craning around to peer curiously down the corridor.

“Doesn’t matter,” Vernon growled, lurching up from the couch and stalking down the hallway towards the doorway.  “They’re rudding mad and I’ll be giving them a piece of mind for coming to call at such a bloody hour.”

He yanked open the door and snarled at the figure standing on his doorstep.  The figure had a black jacket and jeans on, the hood of his dark jacket pulled up so he couldn’t see the other’s face.  ‘ _Some bloody hooligan_ ,’ Vernon thought disgustedly, glaring at the person in front of him who topped him by more than a few inches.

 “Listen you,” he began, a vein throbbing on his head.  “I don’t care who the hell you are!” Vernon snapped, his dark eyes flashing.  “It’s a damn late hour to be calling at someone’s house like this and if you don’t get off my doorstep this second I’ll call the police on you!  And if that doesn’t damn well scare you, I’ll have you know I have a shotgun and we’ll see - ”

“Still as pleasant as always, Dursley,” the figure interrupted softly in a silky voice.  “I hope for your sake that you’ve become more pleasant than before.”

Vernon scowled at the figure on his doorway, irritated by the interruption.  “Who the hell are you and what the hell do you want?” he snapped, already beginning to close the door.

The figure’s arm shot out before the door could close anymore and, without an outward display of strength, pushed back at it.  Vernon shouted as the door flung open all the way, crashing against the wall.  The force against the door had sent him sprawling down the hallway and he could hear the cries of his family as they rushed out of the living room and into the hallway.

The unnamed person stepped in through the doorway and silently closed the door behind them.  Vernon staggered to his feet, fear beginning to rise in him.  He could hear his son whimpering behind him and felt Petunia grasp at his arm fearfully.

“GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!” he roared though his voice had a slight tremble to it.

The hooded figure laughed softly and stepped closer to the frightened family.  Vernon tried to shield his wife and son, all the while glaring at the man.  “Don’t worry, Dursley,” the man said lazily, shoving his hands in his pockets.  “I’ll be more than happy to leave and never return.  That is, after I picked up something I entrusted to you some years ago.  Oh, and definitely after I check to see whether or not you listened to my warning.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” he bellowed, glaring at the hooded man thought backing away slightly.  “What warning?!  Who _are_ you?”  All the while, his dark little eyes looked wildly around the hallway for something to use a weapon.  He spotted a hammer lying against the wall.  Quickly, he lunged for it –

 - only to be thrown against the wall with enough force to make him grunt.  He heard two other thumps and cries and he opened his eyes to see Petunia and Dudley on either side of him.  The crash against the wall had enough force to rattle some pictures and he heard a couple of frames fall to the floor with a crash.

He struggled against the pressure, thinking the man had pinned them against the wall with a bar or something.  Then he stilled, his eyes widening and terror completely replacing his anger.

He was hanging a foot above the floor.

There was nothing in front of him.

And the man in black still had his hands in his pockets, leaning against the post of the staircase.

He could hear his son whimpering and his wife sobbing hysterically but all he could do was stare in horror at the figure.  There was something terribly familiar about this situation…

“You lot haven’t changed much have you?” the man asked softly, looking at them beneath his hood.  “I would have thought five years might have done something but you’re still these pathetic, sniveling, scum shit that you were before.”  Than man was silent for a moment.  “Not for your sake,” he continued, still using his soft voice, “But I really hope you’ve changed in some things.”

“Who are you?” Vernon shouted, his voice trembling with fear.

The figure in black laughed quietly and lazily walked closer to them.  Petunia’s hysterical sobs began to grow higher in pitch and the man turned to look in annoyance in her.  In an instant, her screams were cut off and her eyes bulged.  Choking sounds began to issue from her.

“LEAVE HER ALONE!” Vernon snarled although his terror had increased slightly.  This man…he was one of _those_.  The freaks.

The man turned to look at him and the moonlight from the windows shone enough for Vernon to see his cruel, mocking smile.

“Fine,” the man laughed.  Instantly, the choking ceased and Petunia was left wheezing.  Dudley was crying now, and Vernon could smell the slight smell of urine emitting from his son’s side.  Vernon trembled, glaring at the man though fear filled him.

“Who are you?” he snarled.

The figure stilled and the smile faded from the pale face, replaced with a thoughtful frown.  “I promised him I wouldn’t kill you,” the man murmured, obviously to himself.  Vernon paled drastically at this and he heard his son’s sobbing increase while his wife’s wheezes became more frightened.

The black clad man looked at him for a moment, the pale face half-shadowed.  Then slowly, the pale red lips curved into a sadistic smile.

“Still…” the figure laughed softly, raising his hands to his hood.  The black hood fell backwards and for a moment Vernon just stared blankly at the pale face, the dirty blond hair that surrounded it, and the dark, cold blue eyes.

Then something hit his mind, making his head snap towards the wall and creating a small burst of pain.  But he didn’t pay any attention to it.

Memories began to flood him.  A cold voice, a cold smile, a cold threat.  A boy – no, a teenager – who had held them against the walls of his bedroom.  Cold blue eyes that had pinned him.  Eyes that blazed with an icy fire.  Dark blue eyes that stared at him whenever he raised a hand towards the boy.

The man smiled coldly.

The fangs were bared.

The Dursleys never had the chance to scream.


	7. Finding Things

“You know the first thing I’m going to do as soon as I graduate?” Ron muttered Monday morning as he rubbed his tired eyes.  The sun was shining, the birds were singing and there was a Potions quiz first thing in the morning.

Harry looked at his friend in sympathetic amusement as he drank some of his pumpkin juice, his Potions notes next to his plate of eggs and kippers.  They had spent the entire night studying frantically for the Potions quiz that they had…forgotten…about and he could understand his best friend’s sour mood.  Studying until midnight and then having to wake up early for a quiz – a Potions one at that – did not make a Weasley happy.

“What’s that?” Hermione asked, raising an eyebrow as she unabashedly placed a piece of toast on Harry’s plate.  Harry sighed loudly but said nothing.  All he would get from saying something was a glare and lecture, two things he did **not** need from Hermione before two hours with Snape.

“Kick Snape straight in the - ”

“ _RON!”_

The redhead glowered at her, viciously stabbing a piece of sausage.  “The greasy git would deserve it,” he growled, taking a fierce bite out of the piece of meat on his fork.  “Honestly!” he said suddenly, throwing down his fork and glaring at it.  “Who the hell gives a _quiz_ on a _Monday_ **_morning_**?  An evil sadistic bastard, that’s who.  I’d be doing the world a great service.”

“He warned us about it on Friday,” Hermione sniffed, pouring herself some more pumpkin juice.  “It’s your own fault that you chose to play chess and waste your time on Saturday instead of studying.”  Ron shifted his glare to her and the brunette glared back.  For a whole minute, the two silently met each other’s eyes, sparks flying.

Harry rolled his eyes and turned his face away from his silent friends.  ‘ _Three…two…one…_ ’

The shouting began.  Harry calmly turned the page in his notebook as things like “Siding with Slytherins!” and “Consequences of being lazy!” flew around him.  A little further down the table, Dean and Seamus were once again betting on who would win this argument while Neville stared at the bickering friends.

‘ _I wonder how much longer it’s going to take for them to translate each others words as being the equivalent of “I love you”…_ ’ Harry mused as his eyes quickly scanned his messy writing while munching on his piece of toast.  ‘ _Maybe that closet idea wasn’t such a bad idea after all_ ,’ he thought, inwardly smiling slightly.  ‘ _Of course, they’re likely to kill me for doing that to them.  It would be for their own good though.  Hmm…now where could I -_ ’

His thoughts were interrupted suddenly as a hand was dropped on his shoulder.  Startled, he looked up from his notes to see a pale McGonagall standing behind him.  Beside him, Ron and Hermione’s bickering slowly trailed off.

“The Headmaster would like to speak with you, Potter,” she said in a tight voice.  Harry’s brow furrowed slightly.  It almost sounded like she was…pained?  Her eyes appeared to be a bit too bright as well.  Apprehension began to bubble up in him.

“All right,” he said slowly, dropping his piece of toast on his plate and packing up his notes.  Stuffing his notebook in his bag, he glanced over at his friends who were looking at him worriedly.  Pushing away his nervousness, he forced his most reassuring smile.  “I’m sure it’s nothing,” he said quietly as he stood up, slinging his bag over his shoulder.  They didn’t look convinced.  He made his smile bigger and said, “Really, he probably just wants to know how I’ve been doing.”  No change.  “Just save me a seat in Potions,” he grinned slightly, turning to follow their silent Head of House.  “Hopefully, I’ll miss the quiz.”  That did it.

The worry faded slightly from Hermione, replaced with a disapproving frown.  Ron just grinned, albeit a bit weakly.  He grinned back, turning his back on them and leaving the Great Hall at the same moment a tawny owl dropped the latest Daily Prophet on Hermione’s lap.  He was already halfway down the hall when his bushy-haired friend managed to make a sound about the heading on the front page of the Prophet.

\-------

Harry watched nervously as his Head of House quietly closed the door to Dumbledore’s office.  She hadn’t said a single word from the Great Hall to the Headmaster’s office and before she had left, she had placed comforting hand on his shoulder and squeezed.  Then she had left quickly, her eyes still strangely bright.  To say the least, he was highly worried.

Gripping the edges of his seat, he looked at the Headmaster.  The elderly man had said nothing since Harry had entered and the anxiety in him had grown when he saw the usual twinkle in Dumbledore’s eyes missing.  Minutes passed by as Dumbledore looked at him with no expression and he began to sweat, gripping his chair until his knuckles were white.

Finally, as he was about to ask why he had been brought up, Dumbledore said quietly, “There’s been an attack.”

Harry slumped slightly, his bitterness and fury at Voldemort and Fudge rising slightly in him.  More lives ruined and he closed his eyes slightly in sorrow for whoever’s life would be changed by this.  Then he opened them again, raising his green eyes to stare at the silent Headmaster.

‘ _He wouldn’t bring me up just to tell me that,’_ he thought in a distant part of his mind as fear began to grow in him, growing with each moment that Dumbledore was silent.  ‘ _He wouldn’t…unless…unless it had something to do with me directly…_ ’ He trembled slightly, the names of all the people he cared about running through his head.

“At the moment, it’s not certain if the attack is related with Voldemort or not, or if it was even a magical attack,” Dumbledore said quietly, his blue eyes looking somberly at him.  Fear and worry left him for a moment and Harry looked confusedly at the Headmaster.

‘ _What_?’ he thought, puzzled, staring at the unusually cheerless Dumbledore.  ‘ _But…all attacks against me are by Voldemort.  And all my ties are to the wizarding world.  What -_ ’

Then he stilled.

“Harry,” Dumbledore said gently, the blue eyes looking at him, “Your relatives were attacked.”

It was his turn to be silent.  He stared at the Headmaster for a long moment, everything in him numb.  The Dursleys…his only living blood family as far as he knew…the people who mistreated him his entire life and whom he hated…

“What happened?” he asked.  Even to his own ears, his voice sounded odd.  He dully wondered if he should be feeling anything but this strange numbness.

“They were attacked late on Saturday night from what investigators can tell,” Dumbledore said quietly, still using his gentle voice.  “They were barely found last night by some neighbors who thought that the house was unusually quiet with their car still in the driveway.  The neighbors called the police.  The Ministry has agents in the Muggle force to keep an eye on your home and other things as well.  As soon as one of them heard the address, they took over the case and Obliviated the Muggles that knew about it.”

He was silent then continued quietly. “Your uncle and aunt were murdered and your cousin was found in the cupboard under the stairs with a few injuries.  He was found by chance by one of the Aurors.  He started screaming the moment the cupboard was opened and the Auror had to stun him to keep him quiet.  He was taken to St. Mungo’s and checked.  The physical damage wasn’t great but…" Dumbledore hesitated for a moment.  “He’s being committed.  They’ve placed him in a ward in a Muggle asylum so his aunt can visit him."

Harry had turned his face to the floor while the Headmaster spoke and the numbness had grown.  ‘ _Dead…they’re dead_.’  He raised a hand to his face and absently rubbed at his stinging eyes.  He must need a new prescription

“Harry…” Dumbledore said gently but he continued to look at the ground, rubbing his stinging eyes and feeling numb.

No…wait.  He wasn’t completely numb.  A new feeling was rising in him, something dark and…his eyes widened slightly in horror as he recognized the feeling and then he closed them quickly, shaking his head minutely.  ‘ _No…nonononono_ ,’ he chanted in his mind, trying to push away this new surfacing feeling.  ‘ _Anything but that…I don’t feel like that…_ ’ But he did.  He felt it.  He felt bitterly…

… ** _satisfied_**.

Pressing the palms of his hands against his eyes hard, he took in a deep shuddering breath.  His body shook and his stomach churned unpleasantly.  He swallowed back the bile that he felt in the back of his throat. ‘ _I don’t…I didn’t want them to die._ ’  The satisfied part in him weakened slightly.  _‘They didn’t deserve it._ ’  The feeling rose quickly.  ‘ _They didn’t deserve death.  They hurt me but they didn’t deserve death.’_ The feeling subsided slightly.  ‘ _They didn’t deserve to die…they were the only real family I had.  It doesn’t matter if I hated them or that they hated me, they were my family.  They raised me and taught me not to be like them. It’s because of them that I don’t hurt when people don’t like me.  I hated them…but I didn’t want them to die._ ’ The feeling faded to the back of his mind

He shivered and dropped his hands from his face, wrapping his arms tightly around his middle.  “Who?” he asked quietly, his eyes tightly closed.

“The Ministry is investigating the matter,” Dumbledore’s gentle voice said quietly near him.  Harry opened his eyes and looked up, blinking.  The Headmaster had moved from his chair without him noticing and Harry looked confusedly up at the somber figure.

“Oh…well…” he said, dimly wondering why Dumbledore was so close to him.  “Do I need to do anything?”

“The Ministry would just like to know if you wish to go home and retrieve whatever you might have left there,” Dumbledore said quietly, his brightless blue eyes looking down at him.  Harry faintly pondered why he looked so sad and pained.

“Yes,” he said unconsciously.  Then he blinked and furrowed his brow slightly.  ‘ _Why did I say that?’_ he thought, slightly mystified.  ‘ _I always bring everything I own to Hogwarts…_ ’ He opened his mouth to change his answer but then he closed it again.  Something was telling him he had to go back.  He numbly wondered what and why.

He jumped slightly as he felt a hand fall on his shoulder.  Blinking, he looked at the gnarled hand on his shoulder then up at the sorrowful figure of Dumbledore.  The blue eyes looked down at him sadly and the hand squeezed his shoulder.

“It’s not your fault,” the elderly man said quietly.  Harry frowned, raising a hand to rub his stinging eyes.  He removed his glasses, rubbing them harder.  Everything was getting blurry…he needed new glasses.

The hand squeezed tighter.  “It’s not your fault,” Dumbledore repeated again softly.  “Their deaths do not appear to be connected with Voldemort.  Do not put yourself at blame.  Not for this or for the deaths of those attacked by Voldemort.  They’re not your fault.”

Harry frowned, looking up at the Headmaster while rubbing his blurry eyes.  What was he talking about?  He didn’t blame himself…did he?  He opened his mouth and then closed it again.  His throat was tight.  Maybe he was coming down with a cold, he thought faintly, sniffling slightly.  Hermione would be a hen if he were.

“Don’t blame yourself for things you have not done,” Dumbledore said gently, sitting down on a chair next to Harry.  He tried to keep his eyes focused on the Headmaster but his eyes were getting so blurry.  He tried to keep his attention on the Headmaster’s voice but his ears were ringing.  He was so numb…

“Harry…” Dumbledore’s soft, gentle voice floated to him.  “Stop holding yourself in.”

He trembled.  His only family was gone…

Without shame, he hunched over and cried as the Headmaster gently rubbed his back, murmuring soothing words of nothing.

\-------

“Take as long as you want,” the Auror said, standing guard outside of Number Four, Privet Drive.  Four more were stationed all around the house, dressed in the uniform of Muggle police.  They had been assigned to guard him in case the murders were just a trap.  They hadn’t said anything from the trip from Hogwarts to here, instead keeping a respectful silence.  But Harry hadn’t minded the silence.  “Call me if you need me,” the Auror added as Harry ducked under the yellow tape that covered the door.

Harry nodded silently, stuffing his hands inside his jeans as he walked into the place where he had been raised.

He looked around quietly, walking through the house slowly.  Barely a week since they had been killed and yet all of the Dursleys' possessions were gone, leaving white spaces on the walls.  The house felt strangely large and empty without the pictures of Dudley being spoiled.  The clouded moonlight shone through the living room windows, creating monstrous shadows out of the trees and bushes out on the lawn.  Harry shivered and wrapped his arms around himself as he turned away from the living room.  This was where his aunt and uncle had been found.

It was the day after Halloween and Harry was back for the last time at the place he never called home.  Walking up the stairs, he dully recalled the past week.

By the time he had finished his breakdown in Dumbledore’s office, he had already missed all of Potions and the beginning of Care of Magical Creatures.  He had been embarrassed to have broken down like that in front of Dumbledore but the Headmaster had shook it off, saying things that Harry couldn’t really understand but made him feel slightly better.  Still, he had been more than ready to leave the office but Dumbledore wouldn’t let him leave until he promised to visit Madam Pomfrey for a Dreamless Sleep potion.

The school nurse already had a potion waiting for him by the time he arrived and judging from the sympathetic look that she had given him, and taking into account McGonagall’s behavior, he guessed that the staff already knew about the Dursleys.  He had quickly left the Infirmary, unable to stand any more sympathy or pity.  Dumbledore had given him the rest of the day off and he had secluded himself in his dorm, not wanting to see the other students staring or whispering.

Ron had come up after classes had finished.  His redheaded friend didn’t say anything when he saw Harry staring up at the ceiling nor did he ask why Dumbledore had called him.  Harry bitterly guessed that the Daily Prophet had already gotten wind about his relatives’ death.

Hermione also came up and tried to make Harry talk but Ron had shaken his head at her.  Harry was grateful that Ron had figured out that he didn’t want to talk about it but Hermione hadn’t looked too pleased as she closed her mouth.  She didn’t stop her mothering though, even though she couldn’t make him talk.  His bushy-haired friend forced him to go to dinner despite his lack of appetite.

The first night after finding out about the Dursleys' deaths summed up the rest of the week for him.  People stared in pity at him, whispering about the article and about his relationship with his relatives.  Those who were mistrustful of him whispered loudly about how he hated them.  Those people had quickly been dealt with by the Weasleys, particularly Fred and George.  The twins had apparently made it their job to prank anyone who messed with him and he suspected this was because of him being their benefactor for their joke shop.

Even with the Weasleys’ protection though, people continued to stare and whisper about him all week.  The Halloween Feast yesterday had been a torture and the only reason he had gone was because Hermione had threatened to hex him if he didn’t.

Harry walked to his uncle and aunt’s room, opening the door slightly.  The room was bare, just like Dudley’s.  It appeared that all the work had been done in the living room.  Sighing, he quietly closed the door and walked toward his own bedroom.  The Ministry had sent an official in the middle of the week, asking him questions about the Dursleys and their contacts.  His information didn’t seem to be a lot though, judging by the frustrated look in the official’s eyes.  Before she had left, she had asked which room was his so that it wouldn’t be touched while the house was cleaned up.

He had paled slightly at hearing that.  Hearing that the house had to be cleaned up…Dumbledore didn’t tell him the details of what had happened and the Prophet’s article was vague on the attack.  All he had managed to gleam from what he heard was that his cousin had been locked in the cupboard and the neighbors had frantically called the police when they had discovered the bodies of Petunia and Vernon in the living room.  He knew that the murder had been brutal but hearing that the house had to be cleaned…he had been ill after the official had left.

He opened the door to his room and stood in the doorway, looking around the place in which he lived for only a few years.  Walking in, he looked around.  Everything looked pretty much the same except for a few ruffled papers and books dropped on the floor.  Picking one up, he absently put it back on the shelf.  The attackers had been in this room.  But why?

Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair as he walked over to the loose floorboard.  Kneeling down, he lifted it up and looked down into it.  Like he had guessed, he didn’t leave anything behind.  Frowning, he replaced the floorboard.  Why had he come back if he hadn’t left anything?  Letting out a frustrated breath, he turned and quickly left the room without a backwards glance.

 _‘Why did I come back?’_ he thought to himself, frowning as he walked down the stairs.  ‘ _I know I didn’t leave anything and I hated living here.  But I still came back.  Why?_ ’  He let out a long breath, reaching the bottom of the stairs.  From there he looked around the house.

The pictures were missing from the walls.  The rugs, the vases, the carpet – which Harry had heard had been heavily streaked with blood - were all gone.  One of the Aurors of his escort had muttered how he didn’t want to go into the house again after seeing the carpet, not noticing Harry had been standing behind him.  The other Auror had nudged the muttering Auror, jerking her head to him staring.  The Auror stopped muttering and had flushed, looking away from him.  Harry hadn’t said anything.

‘ _Why did I come back?_ ’ Harry thought wearily, looking around.  ‘ _I never belonged here.  It never felt like home.  I didn’t need to.  Why?’_ Sighing, he turned and walked towards the front door, ready to tell his escort that he was ready to leave.  Then he stopped.

Turning around, he looked down the shadowed hallway.  Slowly, his feet walked down the corridor as if having a mind of their own.  They led him down the hallway, slowly and hesitantly.  Then they stopped.

Harry stared at the cupboard.  Without thinking, he opened it slowly.

The cupboard beneath the stairs had been cleaned.  Harry ducked in, noticing that everything was gone from the place he had been raised.  Sitting down against the wall with his knees pulled up to his chest, he wrapped his arms around them and closed his eyes.

‘ _Why did I come back here?_ ’ he thought, taking in a deep breath.  ‘ _I hated this place…didn’t I?_ ’  No…he didn’t.  For some reason, it felt…right…being back here.  Being back under the cupboard.  He remembered being locked in here when he was younger, remembered it being the place he wanted to get out of.  But now that he thought about it, he didn’t hate it.

The cupboard.  Before magic and Hogwarts.  Before Ron and Hermione.  Before the Weasleys and Sirius.  Before Snape and Voldemort.  Before the Ministry and the press.  Before his life became so complicated.

He opened his eyes, looking into the dark hallway.  ‘ _Life was so simple when I was here_ ,’ he thought bleakly.  ‘ _Didn’t have to worry about anything except staying out of their way.  Didn’t have to worry about life and death.  Didn’t have so many responsibilities…’_

He closed his eyes again.  ‘ _I wish things were still that way …_ ’

He stayed like that for a few moments.  Then he shook his head, laughing mirthlessly at himself.  ‘ _What am I saying?  I hated it._ ’  He looked around the cupboard.  ‘ _It was simple, being in here.  But I wasn’t happy.  I have Ron and Hermione and Sirius and Hogwarts now._ ’  He shook his head, dropping his arms.  ‘ _No…I don’t wish I was back here…no matter how comfortable it was.’_

Shaking his head, he stood up, forgetting he had grown since last being in the cupboard.  He hissed as his head hit the top of the cupboard.  He fell back down on the floor, wincing slightly as he rubbed his head.  ‘ _Nice show of grace there, Potter_ ,’ he thought sourly, rubbing his head.   He placed a hand against the wall of the cupboard, deciding to use it to help him stand up.

The wall shifted.  He jerked his hand away and looked at the wall that his hand had rested on.  Blinking, he saw that his hand had broken into the wall.  Furrowing his brow, he moved closer.  No, he hadn’t broken it.  A piece of the wall had moved, showing a little hiding spot behind it.  He moved the panel more and peered inside.

Reaching inside, he pulled out a small book with gold edging and no title.  Frowning, he looked at it before warily opening it.  There was writing inside the book, written in different colors.  Flipping through it, he saw there were still blank pages in the back.  He flipped to the front and read the front page that just contained a couple of words written in calligraphy in dark purple ink.

**_‘Qye’s Journal’_ **


	8. Trigger

Harry lifted his head from his plate, blinking at the irritated redhead.  "What was that?" he asked, pausing in lifting a spoonful of corn to his mouth.

"I said," Ron muttered irritably, pushing his food around with his fork, "I wish the Professors would take a look at their calendars and notice what time of the year it is."  He glowered up at the enchanted ceiling that showed light snow cascading down into the Great Hall.  "As if it weren't obvious enough," he snorted, taking a bite out of his meat pie.

"What does the time of year have anything to do with the professors?" Hermione asked, looking up from her Transfiguration textbook next to her plate and raising an eyebrow.  Harry took another bite of corn, also looking curiously at the youngest Weasley boy.

Ron turned his glare onto the both of them, shifting the heated gaze from one to another.  "Oh, bloody hell!" he said exasperatedly, throwing down his fork and crossing his arms.  "Have either of you noticed that there's only a couple of days left for winter break?"  Ron glowered at both of them, looking slightly sulky.

"So?" Harry said bemusedly after swallowing his food.

"So?" Ron repeated in a disbelieving tone of voice.  "So?  It's almost Christmas and they're giving us a hell of a lot of work and bombarding us with homework every day!  You would think they would get into the holiday spirit but noooo. . ."

"Don't be ridiculous, Ron," Hermione sniffed, taking a sip of her pumpkin juice.  "Just because it's almost the holidays doesn't mean they have to loosen up on the work they're giving us.  And besides, O.W.L.s are coming closer and closer.  They don't want us slacking off during the break, that's all.  All the assignments they're giving us will help all of us stop from being lazy and procrastinating on studying for the exams.  I, for one, am personally flattered they're taking so much effort into helping us for the tests."

"You would be," Ron muttered, slouching in his chair and taking a bite out of his pie.  "Only you would enjoy someone ruining your break."  Hermione shot him a dirty look and Harry watched them amusedly as he took a sip of his drink. 

November had come and gone quickly this year and December was already almost halfway gone.  The slightly cool weather of autumn had gone away finally, replaced by the cold, snowy weather of winter.  Instead of just being covered in thin sweaters that kept the chilly wind away, students were now apt to wearing long, heavy scarves with at least a long sleeved shirt and thick, warm coats to drive away the burning cold that threatened to ice over their bones.

It was the last week of classes before break let out and a high feeling of anticipation filled the entire school.  All around, longing could be seen in the faces of the students and staff.  He could see the impatience and frustration in everyone's eyes as they sat through the long, slow lessons, waiting anxiously for the class to end and the vacation time to come closer.

However, he doubted anyone was as eager for break as him.

He had come back from the Dursleys' home with many things.  A sadness and bitterness followed him everywhere for about a week after going back to the house he had been raised and lived in.  He had sadly wished that he and the Dursleys could have mended some things, bridging the gulf of hatred between them.  But they were dead now and that separation between them would always be there.  He had laid in his bed a couple of sleepless nights, staring bitterly at the canopy of his four-poster bed, thinking about how that mend would never come because the Dursleys had been so close minded, so stubborn, so _stupid_. . .he had lost his chance to have true family.

But he had gotten over that quickly.  Partly because he had never been close to his relatives so he could not find any reason to keep mourning their tragic fates for so long.  Partly because of the worry he saw in Ron and Hermione, seeing them looking at him sadly and uncertainly.  As much as he was regretful of his relatives' deaths and Dudley's commitment, they were not as important as his friends, the people he considered his surrogate family.  He made himself get over his downcast mood quickly, unwilling to make them worry more than they already did.

Once or twice, he had seen Hermione open her mouth, obviously wanting to make him talk about how he felt about the fate of the Dursleys but, thankfully, Ron had just shaken his head at her and she went silent.  Harry absently wondered what was going on between them, what with all this silent communication and understanding among them.  He wondered if it meant that they would realize their feelings soon.  He hoped it did because he doubted he could take much more of their bickering.

As if some higher power heard him, his two best friends beside him immediately launched into another argument yet again.  Mentally sighing, he pushed around the food on his plate, his mind straying back to what he had been thinking about all of November and most of December.

By the time he had come back to Hogwarts, it was late at night and everyone was asleep.  This had made it easy for him to hide the things from the Dursleys under his mattress while all of his roommates slept like logs.  He said nothing about his trip to Privet Drive since coming back and no one had ever brought it up so he was able to keep the things from the cupboard a secret, even though he wasn't entirely sure why he wanted to.

After finding Qye's Journal, he had searched the rest of the compartment and found other things as well.  He had wanted to inspect them even more but he had heard the Auror calling for him so he had bundled everything up in his robe, checked the compartment one last time, and left.  His mind had buzzed throughout the entire trip back to Hogwarts, pulsing with something.  However, it was so late by the time the group had gotten back that he had only stuffed the findings under his mattress and gone to sleep.

The next night, after he was sure everyone had fallen asleep and Neville and Ron's snores were loud, he had brought everything out.  Everything had been covered in what looked to be years of dust and he had shaken the remnants of age out before settling down and looking through them.   There had been some clothes, slightly smaller than him and looking extremely old fashioned though well kept in the compartment, folded neatly.  He had only brought them out once and for some reason, he had gotten a half-uneasy, half-amused feeling from them.  He had quickly hidden them again, unnerved by the feelings the clothing caused.

On top of the clothes had lain a couple of books with their pages yellowed.  They weren't handwritten like the journal and looked something akin to textbooks.  He had tried opening them but the books were tightly shut and no matter how hard he tried to pull the pages apart, they remained stuck as if glued together.  It had puzzled him since they appeared to have no locks and he had looked at the covers but there was only strange writing on it.  He had eventually given up on trying to open them, putting them under the mattress, bundling them up in the clothes.  He knew he probably should have turned them in but he just wanted to keep them a bit longer to study them.

But the objects that had interested him the most, besides the journal, had been the ring and necklace.

Lying on top of the books had been a ring with emeralds and sapphires.  The ring had looked extremely expensive and he wondered who would have just left it in the compartment.  He had looked at it often and for some reason, Professor Opacre kept popping into his mind.  The ring looked like something that would suit her and he idly thought that if she wasn't evil and bent on killing on him, he might leave it on her desk for her birthday if he couldn't find the original owner.

Draped on top of the ring almost carelessly had been a necklace with a pendant.  It might have suited the vampire woman but he strangely didn't want to part with it.  He had brought it out a couple of times, just looking at its fine, dark chain and engraving on the pendant.  A silvery blue crescent moon hung upside down with metallic gray stars that twinkled beneath it and on a field of black was the engraving that shone on the pendent.  He sometimes felt something emitting from it, something dark and dominating.  It made him wary and he quickly put the necklace away when he felt the sensation begin to arise.  He knew he probably should have turned it in but he didn't.  He just kept it hidden with the other things.

As interesting as these other findings were however, none were as interesting as the first finding.  Qye's Journal.  The night after returning with the things from the cupboard, after he had looked through all the other findings, after he once again made sure everyone was asleep, he had opened that.

At first, he had only flipped through the book, reading a couple of sentences on a page before moving to another page.  With each word he read, his head pulsed in a way that wasn't unpleasant but wasn't exactly the best of things to feel.  He supposed it was because he felt guilty for reading another person's private thoughts but that feeling had quickly left as he read more and more about them.

From what he had read, he had concluded that 'Qye' was a boy when writing this, although an intelligent one at that.  He didn't know how old this 'Qye' was though.  There had been too much dust on the belongings to say that the books had just been placed there recently and too little to say they had been there for so long.  Maybe this 'Qye' had lived there before he had been born?  All of the things in the compartment most likely belonged to 'Qye' but he didn't understand how or why.  The books that wouldn't open. . .they were obviously magical.  Did that mean the boy was a wizard?  But Privet Drive was a Muggle neighborhood.  He didn't understand.

He read the journal, his guilt fading every night he spent reading it.  With such a thin book, he hadn't thought there would be so much writing.  But, Merlin, was he wrong.  The book was obviously magical as well because there was no way there could be so many entries in such a small book.  Throughout the late nights of November he had pored over the journal entries, only daring to bring out the slender book late at night.  Each night that he could, he had read at least one passage, learning more and more about this boy who had hidden things in his cupboard.  Harry idly wondered why he had hidden things there.

He remembered one passage.  The journal never gave any dates, merely separating entries with a swirling line or sometimes stars.  The passage had read:

_The world is so strange and ironic.  Or maybe it's just the people in it.  I hardly understand the things people do sometimes or the reasons of why they do them.  Today, I saw a younger kid being pushed around by some friends of the Humpback Whale's gang.  I don't know why, but I shouted at those creeps and they scampered away.  The kid thanked me then ran off.  Later, during lunch, the bullies who had picked on the little boy came up to me with their older brothers.  The ironic part?  After those idiots finished smacking me around, that little kid came up and kicked me in the stomach.  Apparently, the kids beating **him** up were **friend** s trying to teach him how to be a man and I just interfered._

_. . .what the hell?  I save the brat from some bruises and this is what I get?  That little prat walked off with the kids beating him up earlier, looking all proud. I save him from getting beat up and in return I get a thrashing.  Irony, so nice.  I should have left that little bastard to get beaten up._

Whoever this 'Qye' was, he was apparently extremely cynical.  Of course, Harry thought later, he probably would have been as well if the same thing happened to him.  Still, in almost all his entries, the boy had shown a pessimistic view of life and gave off a deep feeling of bitterness and resentment.  Harry wondered what could have caused him to act like that and hoped later entries would help him figure this boy out.  He could skip to the last entries, of course, but he preferred going in order so he could understand things more clearly.

Unfortunately, his reading of Qye's Journal had been cut short.  The beginning of December had brought with it an onslaught of work.  So instead of spending his late nights in bed reading about this mysterious 'Qye', he spent it in the common room with his friends, studying and working.  It slightly frustrated him and he couldn't wait for vacation to begin so he could have some time to read more about the mystifying 'Qye.'

He would be mostly alone in the Gryffindor Tower this year.  Hermione would be spending the holidays with her family in Holland and Ron was to go with his family to Romania to spend time with Charlie, the second eldest Weasley boy.  The Weasleys had invited - practically pleaded -him to come with them but he politely declined.  As much as he loved the redheaded family and saw them as his surrogate family, he wasn't actually part of their family.  He didn't want to impose on their family vacation and he finally managed to reassure them that he would be fine for the holidays by himself.

Sirius was on some top-secret mission for Dumbledore - as usual - and any chance of getting a moment with him for the holidays was impossible.  So he was to be alone for the holidays.   Despite the fact that he knew he would be lonely, he saw this as a wonderful chance to read some more about this strange new character.  As he picked at his food, he absently wondered where 'Qye' was now. . .

"Harry!"

He jerked his head up, blinking as he looked at an exasperated and slightly concerned Hermione and a curious Ron.

"What?" he asked, blinking, laying down his fork.  Hermione rolled her eyes and let out a long, suffering sigh.

"We're going to be late for Potions," she said in an annoyed voice.  "As I have been trying to tell you for the last five minutes."  The irritation left and she looked at him worriedly.  "Are you alright, Harry?"

"Fine, fine," he said absently, standing up with Ron and picking up his bag.  "Just thinking about stuff.  Sorry."  He flashed her a lopsided grin as she frowned.

"Harry - " she began, still not reassured.  Fortunately, Ron cut in before she could question him more.

"Oh, leave him alone, Hermione," the redhead said, rolling his eyes.  "He probably just can't wait for classes to be over so he can finally get some time to relax.  Isn't that right, mate?" he asked, grinning.

Harry grinned back, hitching his bag further up his shoulder as they walked down into the dungeons.  "And to get away from both of you bickering," he added cheerfully as they took the stairs down into the freezing dungeons.  Ron rolled his eyes but Hermione sniffed.

"I can't believe you're daydreaming about relaxing when you should be thinking about studying," Hermione said irritably as they approached the Potions corridor.  "The break is a great time for reviewing things and we're going to need all the time we need to study.  I hope you manage to keep yourself dedicated while I'm not here, Harry - "

"Oh, so now you're my babysitter as well as my mother," he muttered under his breath as they turned a corner.  Hermione didn't hear but Ron snickered slightly, trading amused looks with him.

" - and take time to review your notes instead of goofing off," Hermione continued.  She stopped however when she noticed them smiling too innocently.  Narrowing her eyes, she crossed her arms and glowered at them.  "I mean it," she snapped, looking at them in annoyance.  "You two will be in so much trouble if you don't start studying for the O.W.L.s now!"

"Oh, calm down," he chuckled softly.  "I promise I'll do some studying."

"Ah, don't listen to her, Harry," Ron grinned as they approached the classroom.  "Enjoy yourself, relax and take a load off.  It's the holidays for heaven's sake!  And the O.W.L.s are so far off, we'll have plenty of time to study later."

"Maybe you should listen to your girlfriend, Weasley," a cool voice said behind them.  "Merlin knows you'll need all the studying you can get."

Turning around, they saw a smirking Draco Malfoy with his arms crossed in an arrogant pose.  Ron began to turn red and Hermione blushed as she got the comment.  Before Ron could let his temper fly loose, Malfoy swept past them and into the classroom without another word.

"That - that arrogant, arse kissing git!" Ron seethed, scowling at the back of the Slytherin's back.  "Making up comments like that!"  Harry noted that not all the red in his best friend's face was from anger though.

"Just ignore him," Hermione said, still blushing but looking slightly downcast.  Harry guessed Ron's last comment must have struck something in her but she managed to push away her sadness.  He absently made a note to have a talk with Ron about Hermione soon.  The two were driving him mad with their little dance.

"Come on," he said after a moment, looking back and forth between his friends who were studiously avoiding each other's eyes.  "Snape'll have our points if we're late."  He turned and walked in, hearing his friends follow him.

Walking over to his seat, he dropped his bag down and slid into his seat without a word.  Malfoy was already sitting in his chair, idly flipping through his Potions textbook.  The blond didn't say a word as Harry unpacked his things and green-eyed boy watched him out of the corner of his eyes as he took out his supplies.

Ever since the Dursleys' attack, his rival had become. . .well, he couldn't say polite or nice since this _was_ Malfoy.  But the pale boy had become more civil.  Their spats seemed to have come to a permanent end and the only insults the Slytherin threw his way had been mild.  The other boy had avoided insulting him about anything connected with Voldemort or his relatives.  It was rather unnerving to say the least.

 _'I wonder what's come over him,_ ' he mused as he set up his cauldron.  _'He's been acting different all year, not like his usual self.  It's actually been kind of. . .peaceful. . .'_ He mentally sighed.  _'I wonder how long it'll last.'_   A small part of him - a very, very, _very,_ small part of him - actually kind of. . .missed. . .the interaction between them.

The door from Snape's office flew open and Harry ended his train of thought as the Potions Master swept into the room.  Taking roll quickly, he turned to the blackboard and tapped his wand on it, instructions appearing quickly.  He turned back to the class, his dark, black eyes glittering.

"You'll be making a type of self-enhancing potion today," he snapped.  Obviously, he wasn't in a very good mood and Harry pondered for only a moment about what was bothering him before turning his attention back on hand.

"It's called the Mind Delving potion," he said, walking to the front of his desk.  "The potion separates one's subconscious from their conscious in a more definite manner, allowing the drinker to delve and search their subconscious.  It's sometimes used to understand oneself more clearly," he said, his mouth twisting slightly in derision and his black eyes full of contempt.   "Some Healers give this to mental patients to help them discover answers to their problems but because the subconscious is full of surprises, it's closely regulated.

"The potion we're brewing today won't be as strong as those prescribed, seeing as most of you aren't ready to deal with your minds," Snape continued, smirking at the Gryffindors in the class and making the Slytherins smirk as well.  "The most the potion will allow you to do is skim the top of your subconscious and search through some memories you might have forgotten.

"Of course," he said, unpleasantly smiling, "perhaps some of your memories are suitably embarrassing.  I wouldn't want to traumatize any of you.  Only one of you will take the potion at the end of the class.  The potion will take the entire period.  Well?  What are you waiting for?  Begin!"

The class scrambled for the ingredients, looking up at the instructions on the board constantly.  As Harry chopped up his spider legs, he wondered about the potion.

 _'Look through your subconscious, huh?_ ' he mused as he poured the spring water into his cauldron.  _'Okay. . .from what I've heard about the subconscious, I'd rather not.'_

As he looked up at the board to check for this next step, he saw Snape looking nastily at him.  He froze, then sighed and wearily looked at the next step.  _'Well, there goes that idea,'_ he thought mournfully as he cut up his dandelion stems.  He continued to add in the items, remembering to stir at the correct times.  The class passed in relative silence, the only sounds being the clinking of vials, the soft thuds of knives on desks, the crackle of the fire underneath the cauldron, and the quiet bubbling of the potions.

He reached out to put the roots of heliotrope in his cauldron, thinking, ' _Well, my subconscious can't be that bad, can it?  I mean. . .what memories could I possibly have that might -_ '

Malfoy's hand shot out from next to him, grasping his wrist and tugging it away from his potion.  He choked off a yelp, his eyes widening as he turned to stare at a furious Malfoy.

"Are you mad?" the Slytherin boy snapped, glaring at him while holding his wrist tightly.  "You put the root _after_ putting in the shredded leaves of ivy!  Put it before and your entire potion will blow up, probably taking your hand along with it!  Were you even reading the instructions?!"

Flushing, Harry glanced at the instructions and flushed even more when he saw that he _was_ supposed to put the root after.  "Sorry," he murmured, dropping his eyes to the ground, his face slightly tinged with red from embarrassment.  He had been thinking so hard on the effects of the potion that he hadn't been concentrating on the potion itself.

Beside him, the pale boy growled, dropping his wrist.  He glanced up and saw the other boy drop the shredded leaves into his potion.

" _Now_ you can drop the root," Malfoy said irritably, turning to look at him.  He dropped the root in obediently and watched his potion turn sea green.

"Thanks," he mumbled, turning his eyes to the other boy and blushing slightly.  Malfoy turned his head away, looking over at his own potion, which was a dark teal.

"If your potion had exploded, I would have gotten it all over me too," the blond muttered, sprinkling in the final ingredient, firefly wings.  "I don't fancy having my clothes getting soaked on such a cold day like this."  Harry saw the satisfaction in the other boy's face as the potion turned a dark blue.

For a moment, he looked at the other boy from the corner of his eyes, confused by his actions.  He shook his head after a minute, bemused, and returned his attention back to his potion.  Picking up his own pinch of firefly wings, he sprinkled it in the potion.  He winced slightly as it turned light blue with a tinge of green.

' _Oh boy,_ ' he thought as he stared at his potion which, although it was slightly right, it was still slightly wrong.  _'He can't. . .'_ He looked up as Snape stalked over to his table, his black robe billowing behind him.

"Your potion should be complete by now," Snape snapped, looking around the classroom.  "If it isn't, it won't work and your incompetence has shown.  You've failed for the day."  Behind him, Harry heard Neville let out a sigh.

"Now," Snape smiled unpleasantly.  "For our demonstrator. . ." Cold, black eyes looked straight at him.  "Mr. Potter," he said silkily, "your potion seems adequate enough.  Stand up and drink it.  Describe the effects."

He swallowed and looked nervously at his blue-green potion.  It looked nothing like Malfoy's and if there was one thing he could trust in the Slytherin, it was that his potions were always perfect.  Swallowing again, he sighed and stood up.  Arguing would only lose points and besides, Madam Pomfrey could fix anything. . .right?

Shakily, he ladled some of his potion into a vial, careful not to drop any.  Glancing around, he saw the eager looks of the Slytherins, the sadistic gleam in Snape's eyes, the indifference of Malfoy - was that a flash of concern flash in those eyes? - and the worried air around the Gryffindors.

He raised the vial to his lips and paused for a moment.  His mind was pulsing again and he furrowed his brow slightly.  Shaking his head, he tipped the vial back and swallowed the citrus-tasting potion.

He stood there for a moment, blinking around at everyone.  Everyone was staring at him and he shifted nervously on the spot.  He didn't feel anything except the pulse.

After another moment of silence, Snape finally snapped, "Well?"

Harry waited another moment, hesitantly testing his mind.  Nothing out of the ordinary.  ' _Guess it didn't work,_ ' he thought, slightly relieved.  He opened his mouth to tell Snape this. . .

_pulse_

His eyes widened and he stumbled back, his hands flying up to grasp his throbbing head.  The pulsing had grown, stronger and louder and harder, so hard his mind reeled back from it.  It felt like someone had punched him in the mind and he gasped.  He could vaguely hear murmurs in the classroom but the pulse had grown and -

**_Pulse_ **

A small cry escaped his lips, echoing through the silent room and his eyes snapped shut tightly, his entire body shaking and shivering.  His mind had been punched again, slammed and thrown around.  The pulse had grown louder and louder, he could feel it echoing in his mind.  It was an earthquake in his mind, shaking it, rattling it, breaking it.

**_PULSE_ **

His mind imploded.  Everything rushed in, swirling into the middle, spiraling, spiraling to the blackness in the middle.  It pulled him in like a whirlpool, dragging his mind into the middle. . .

In the distance, somewhere far way, maybe the classroom, he heard people screaming and crying out.  He thought he recognized one of the screams as his own.

_pulse, **pulse, PULSE**_

In an instant, everything switched around.  His mind rushed out, stretching and stretching and stretching and something was fragmenting, tiny little cracks were somewhere, growing bigger and bigger.  He tried to focus, to cling to something stable but his mind was stretching, being pulled in a million directions.

The cracks were in his mind, he realized.  His mind was fragmenting, splintering, breaking into a thousand little pieces. . .

He tried to hold onto them, tried to keep the pieces together but it was all breaking up so quickly, so largely.  In the far off distance, he could hear someone shouting for help, someone holding onto him as he collapsed, twitching and convulsing.

His mind was like newly spun glass, fragile and getting even more so with every second that was an eternity.  He shivered in the arms of someone, hardly aware of his physical state.  His mind, so fragile, something on the other side of the glass, he could almost see it.  It was trying to break free, trying to get out, escape and take part of him and his mind quivered, the spider threads holding it together quivering to keep it. . .

' _Just a bit more,_ ' he thought distantly, barely able to form a thought.  His head was on someone's chest, being held and he tried to cling to the physical, maybe it could anchor the mental.  ' _Hold on. . .cling. . .don't let go. . .don't separate. . .please. . .'_

**_CRACK_ **

The world turned black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *throws a wrench into the works for fun* :D


	9. The Twist That Complicates

Darkness surrounded him.

It encompassed him, floating him along ever so gently, like a feather on the wind.  He felt weightless, moving through the shadows.  Darkness encompassed all around him.  Shadow…silence…

:: **Where am I?** ::

The thought penetrated the darkness, sharp and loud in the silence.  He stirred, trying to banish away the words that were trying to bring him from the soft black place.

:: **Hello?  Anyone here?  Where the hell am I?** ::

The words came again, louder and sharper this time.  He could hear the anger and fear in the voice, so commanding and harsh.  He stirred again, trying to resist the pull.  Were those his thoughts?  He thought they might be.

:: **Why is it so dark here?  Damn it, is anyone there?! Where am I?!** ::

He winced.

:: ** _Oww…stop…_** :: he thought wearily, reluctantly allowing himself to be pulled away from the gentle darkness.  Consciousness came and he sighed quietly, wincing as he felt a painful throb in his head.  He wished he hadn’t woken up.

:: ** _I hate_** **_thinking_** …:: he thought irritably to himself, taking a deep breath, his eyes still closed.

:: **What the hell!?!** ::

Harry stirred, wincing at the loud tone of voice.  Apparently those weren’t his thoughts but the words of someone else in the room.  He sighed silently as he roused from his deep sleep.  Some people had no respect for silence, especially in quiet places.

:: ** _Shut up_** :: he muttered to the voice.  Whoever the person talking was, they certainly were annoying.

:: **Well, gee, sorry** :: the other person said, the voice heavily laced with sarcasm and irritation. :: **But you would be a little irritated too if you suddenly woke up in darkness and finding you can’t move a muscle.  Oh, and also finding a voice speaking in your head.** ::

:: ** _What are you -_** :: Harry began, feeling his annoyance begin to rise with the person.  Then it fell quickly, shock and fear overtaking it.

No one was speaking out loud.  The voice had been in his head.

:: ** _What the hell?!_** :: he thought, panicked.  His eyes shot open, bright green eyes flashing in the darkness of the room.

That turned out to be a big mistake.

The room lurched, his brain pounding against his skull.  His eyes felt like they were too small for his vision, tightening and watering.  Everything he could see was shaking and blurred, like seeing things in two different ways, with two different visions.  Pain flashed through his eyes again, causing a couple of tears to crawl down his face.  Whimpering, he shut his eyes quickly and tightly, curling up into a ball on whatever he was on.

:: **Oh, hell** :: the voice groaned painfully.  :: **Don’t do that again, you idiot!** :: it hissed.

:: ** _Well, sorry_** :: Harry thought back to the person, also irritated and pained, his eyes tightly shut and palms pressed up against them.  :: ** _If I had known that opening my eyes was going to cause me to feel like I was hit with a hundred Bludgers, I probably wouldn’t have done it._** ::

:: **Bludgers?** :: the voice muttered to itself.  Harry shuddered, pressing his hands further against his eyes.  He could still feel the pain from opening his eyes but along with that, he could feel the other’s pain.  He could feel the lingering effects, adding to his own hurt and fear flooded him at this new development.

:: ** _Who are you?!_** :: he shouted in his mind, frightened and confused.  He was listening to a voice in his head and could feel its pain…had he gone insane?  :: ** _Who are you!?_** :: he shouted again, shaking.  :: ** _What are you doing in my head?!_** ::

:: **Your head?** :: the voice repeated, surprised.  It didn’t seem to be affected by Harry’s anger and fear, ignoring the emotions completely.  :: **What do you mean, your head?** ::

Harry trembled, curling up even tighter.  :: ** _Your voice is in my head_** :: he said shakily, keeping his eyes firmly shut.  :: ** _Why is your voice in my head?_** ::

:: **How would I know?** :: the voice replied irritably.  :: **I have no clue where the hell I am, much less why you can hear me in your head.** ::  The voice was silent then said in a odd tone of voice, :: **Why are you so scared?** ::

:: ** _Aren’t you?_** :: Harry snapped, taking in deep breaths to calm himself, dropping his hands from his face.  :: ** _I don’t know about you but I’m not exactly used to waking up and having a chat with a voice inside my head!_** ::

:: **Don’t be such a drama queen** :: the voice muttered.  Harry shivered as he heard it sigh and the other one must have noticed this – how could it?! - because they snapped,  :: **Bloody hell, stop that!  I haven’t done anything to you except talk and you’re shaking like a leaf!  Cut it out, will you?** ::

:: ** _Leave me alone!_** :: he shouted back at the other one, trying to shove away the voice.  His body shuddered and he squeezed his eyes even more.  He knew he was at the edge of hysteria – maybe he was already there - but god, there was a voice inside his head and he wanted it out and  –

:: **CALM DOWN AND SHUT UP!** ::

He froze.

:: **Burn me** :: the voice growled after a moment of silence. He could feel the anger and frustration from the other person – _how_!? – and he stayed silent and still.

 :: **You think I’m not the least bit confused by this?** :: the person snapped, irritation in its voice.  :: **I’m every bit as scared as you but instead of freaking out, I prefer to wonder why and how the hell I’m in your head!** ::  He heard the voice take a breath – they were in his _head_! how could they take a breath in his _head_? – and continue in a calmer tone.

:: **Listen** :: the voice continued evenly, :: **Why don’t we start off with basics, yes?  We’ll go from there and maybe we’ll find a way to get me out of here and back into my own body.** ::  The voice paused and then said acidly, :: **Think you can handle all that without freaking out?** ::

Harry took a deep breath.  :: ** _Yeah_** :: he said softly, still afraid but more in control now.  :: ** _I can handle that._** ::  He paused, then added in a slightly embarrassed voice, :: ** _Sorry about that panic attack.  I’m usually not like that._** ::

:: **Sure** :: the voice said sarcastically and Harry got the faint impression that the person was smirking.  He frowned slightly but the other one continued before he could say anything.

:: **First things first.  What’s your name?** :: the voice asked.

:: ** _Harry_** :: he mumbled in his head, slightly wary now.  Whatever had happened to him, it was obviously something magical so whoever this person was had to be as well.  And the last thing he needed right now was some raving fan stuck in his head for who knew how long.

:: **What’s the last thing you remember, Harry?** :: the voice asked without making special notice of the name.

:: ** _Hey_** :: he frowned.  :: ** _Aren’t you going to tell me your name?_** ::

:: **I will as soon as we get done with everything about you**.::

:: ** _Why me first?_** :: Harry protested.

:: **Because I’m the one who kept the cool head and came up with the idea** :: the person said in an annoyed voice.  :: **Answer the question, Harry**.::

:: ** _Jerk_** :: Harry muttered to the voice and he could practically feel the other person smirk slightly.  He sighed and thought back to before the darkness.  He remembered fragments…something had been breaking…he had been in pain…potion…

:: ** _I was in Potions_** :: he thought absently.  :: ** _I drank a potion…something to deal with the subconscious I think…_** ::

:: **Potions?** :: the voice asked, puzzled.  :: **What’s ‘Potions?’** ::

He frowned a bit more, some unease creeping into him.  :: ** _It’s…Potions.  You know.  A class where you work with potions._** ::  He paused and then asked nervously, :: ** _You do know what potions are, right?_** ::

:: **I have the dictionary definition, if that’s what you’re asking** :: the voice muttered.  :: **Other than that, I have no clue what you’re blabbing about.  However, if you’re telling me that you were in a class that deals with potions in the _magical_ sense…then I’m beginning to wonder about your sanity.** ::

:: ** _What do you call what’s happening right now then?_** :: Harry asked incredulously.  Shock had filled him once more with the person’s disbelief in magic.  How was it possible that they were entangled with magic if they didn’t believe it existed?

The voice sighed.  :: **I guess it IS magic** :: it said grudgingly.  :: **Mind you, I’m not completely convinced it is.  Magic is just an excuse to explain something that people are too lazy to figure out.** ::

:: ** _That’s not true_** :: he frowned.  :: ** _I live in a school of magic and practice with it every day.  I’ve seen things that just can’t be explained without magic.  It’s real._** ::

:: **You live in a school of magic…** :: the voice said slowly.

:: ** _Yeah, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_** :: he replied.

There was a pause.  Then the voice muttered, :: **Your voice is too serious and that name too ridiculous for you to be making this up.** ::  The person shook its head and he got the odd feeling in his head once more, the feeling which was the equivalent of the voice in his head doing something physical in a mental way.  He trembled slightly.

:: **I shouldn’t be so surprised** :: the voice mumbled to itself.  :: **With the people I know and everything.** ::

Harry’s brow furrowed as he continued to keep his eyes closed.  :: ** _Huh?_** ::

:: **Forget it** :: the voice replied then sighed.  :: **Okay.  So your name is Harry and the last thing you remember is being in Potions class.  There is magic and apparently you can use it.** ::  Harry blinked as he suddenly felt a wave of suspicion from the person.  :: **You wouldn’t happen to be a vampire by any chance, would you?** ::

:: ** _What?  No!_** :: Harry replied, startled.  :: ** _What makes you say that?_** ::

:: **Nothing** :: the voice replied quickly and he frowned.  :: **Right, where were we?  You remember drinking a potion that deals with the subconscious.  Do you have any idea how this might have brought me here?** ::

:: ** _Not really_** :: he said, still wondering about the vampire question.  Then he scowled slightly as another piece of his memory came to him, banishing away his curiosity.  :: ** _Might have to do with my potion being all screwy though.  Stupid Snape._** ::

:: **Snape?** :: the voice repeated, confused.  :: **Who -** ::  The person went silent suddenly and he grew slightly worried at the pause.  Before he could say anything though, the voice continued.

:: **Snape…** :: the person said in a strange tone of voice.  :: **Professor Severus Snape, Potions Master and Head of Slytherin House at Hogwarts.  Tall, black haired greasy fellow with a sour complexion and black eyes.  He doesn’t like you at all.  Is that who you were talking about?** ::

:: ** _Yeah_** :: Harry replied, surprised.  :: ** _How did you know?_** ::

:: **I can see him…** :: the voice said slowly.  :: **Or rather, I can read his information**.::  He felt a sense of surprise and curiosity from the other and he furrowed his brow more.

:: ** _What are you talking about?_** :: he thought to the person.  :: ** _What do you mean you can read his information?_** ::

:: **Exactly that** :: the voice murmured.  :: **It’s not completely dark in here anymore.** ::

Harry gasped suddenly, jerking as an odd sensation bloomed in his mind.  Nimble little fingers seemed to touch his mind, rifling through it gently and he shivered from the new feeling.

:: ** _What are you doing?!_** :: he shouted, shivering as the sensation continued.

:: **Calm down** :: the voice said distractedly.  :: **I’m not hurting you**.::  The sensation paused.  :: **Am I?** ::

:: ** _N…no_** :: he said, still shivering slightly from the touch.  :: ** _But that feels extremely weird.  What were you doing?!_** ::

:: **I have no idea** :: the person replied, some bemusement in its voice.  :: **But…there are quite a lot of books where I am right now – and don’t ask me where I am, I’m not really sure.  It looks like a room to me, filled with bookshelves but I can’t see my body or a door or anything that suggests a normal room.  Damn, I really _am_ in your head.** ::They sighed then continued.  :: **When you said Snape, one of the books floated to me with his name on it.  Everything I said was in the book and that was only the first page.  Interesting…** ::

:: ** _I don’t understand…_** :: Harry said confusedly, his brow furrowing more and his head pounding from all this new information.

:: **You think I do?** :: the voice replied.  :: **I think I have an idea though…  You said the potion you drank had something to do with the subconscious, right?  Its magical properties relating with it, right?** ::

:: ** _You seem to be accepting this entire magic thing rather quickly and calmly now_** :: he muttered back, unnerved by the feeling in his head.

:: **Well, I could rant and rave about how there’s no such thing as magic and everything** :: the person said and Harry shivered as he felt that physical-into-mental feeling in his head, telling him that they raised an eyebrow.  :: **But that would get me nowhere.  So I’ll just go with the flow for the moment until I can find a logical explanation for all this.  And you changed the subject.  Answer the question, Harry.** ::

:: ** _I didn’t do it on purpose_** :: he said sullenly, shaking his head slightly to dispel the unsettling feeling of rummaging in his head.  :: ** _Yes, the potion I drank was supposed to do something with the subconscious, not entirely sure what.  Will you quit that!?_** ::

:: **No** :: the voice replied simply.  Harry growled slightly and he heard the voice chuckle quietly in his head.

:: ** _Why in the world not?_** :: he snapped at the other, his eyebrow twitching slightly.

:: **Because I find it interesting** :: the voice replied promptly.  :: **And if I don’t do something besides drift in this darkness, I’ll likely go mad.  And I think I understand why all these books are here, though I’m still not certain why I am.** ::

:: ** _Care to share your thoughts on the matter then?_** :: he grumbled, hesitantly beginning to open his eyes slightly.

:: **I see no reason why – Hey!** :: the voice snapped and he let out a small sigh of relief as the rummaging feeling stopped.  :: **What the hell are you doing?!** ::

:: ** _What does it look like?_** :: Harry muttered as he slowly began to open his eyes more.  He winced as he felt his eyes tighten again and he paused, allowing his eyes to adjust before opening them further.  :: ** _Oh wait, you can’t see, can you?_** :: he added as he paused, wincing slightly at his words.  :: ** _Sorry, I didn’t mean  -_** ::

:: **I can see just fine, thank you very much** :: the person interrupted in an irritated voice.  :: **Or rather…you’re looking at a bedside drawer with a vase on top of it, filled with carnations?  And everything is blurred and dark?** ::

:: ** _Er…yeah_** :: he replied, surprised.  The ache was beginning to fade away in his eyes and he tentatively opened them further, blinking slightly to ease the pressure in them.  Everything was still blurred and it felt odd looking at things but the unpleasant feeling was beginning to go away.

:: **Ugh…I don’t like this…** :: the voice said in a slightly sick voice.  :: **Oh, I really don’t like this.  I don’t know about you but this is hurting my head…ow…** ::  They were both silent as Harry continued to force his eyes open little by little.

:: **Bloody hell…** :: the voice mumbled.  :: **Guess I can only see what you see…oh…hold up**.::  There was a silence again and Harry blinked his eyes, raising a hand to scrub away a couple tears of pain.  Then he jerked slightly as some of the pressure in his eyes faded.

:: **Oh, that’s much better** :: the person sighed in relief.  :: **I think I’ll stay this way for as long as I’m in here.  Except if I want to see things.  Hmm…wonder if it works the same with sound…** ::

:: ** _What did you do?_** :: he asked, startled and blinking as his vision adjusted and the pain disappeared.  :: ** _Whatever you did, thanks_** :: he added as he let out a long breath of relief.

:: **Actually, I did it for my own benefit but you’re welcome** :: the voice said dryly.  :: **And I’m not exactly sure how I did it but I did.** ::

:: ** _What did you do?_** :: Harry asked again, curious.

:: **When you opened your eyes, I stopped ‘seeing’ the little room filled with books – which, by the way, I think are your memories –  and instead saw what you saw.  Not sure what I did but I managed to stop looking through your eyes and now all I see is the room.** ::

:: ** _How?_** :: he asked, bewildered as he stared at the blue vase and flowers on top of the drawer next to the bed he was lying on.  :: ** _And what do you mean my ‘memories’?_** ::

:: **I already told you that I didn’t know how** :: the voice replied, slightly annoyed.  :: **And I meant exactly what I said.  I’ve been browsing through these stacks of books -** ::  - Harry realized with a small start that the rummaging feeling was back and had been for a while - :: **\- and I’ve opened a couple of them.  All of them have things written in them.  For example, this one talks about a wizarding village called Hogsmeade and how there was a visit last week.  Am I correct?** ::

:: ** _Yeah…_** :: Harry said slowly.  Hadn’t Snape mentioned something about memories and the subconscious?  :: ** _Hey!_** :: he suddenly said, hit with a new thought.  :: ** _That’s all the more reason for you to knock it off!  Those are my personal thoughts_**!::

:: **Whom exactly am I going to tell these to?** :: the person replied sarcastically.  :: **Besides, how are you going to stop me?** ::

Harry growled softly as he closed his eyes again.  He had seen the moon shining through the window behind him, saw the pale light fall upon the floor.  He had finally recognized the bed as being one of the beds in the Infirmary, telling him exactly where he was.  He must have been brought up here after the potion backfired on him.  The moonlight was too far on the ground, telling him that he had woken up late at night so he couldn’t call for Madam Pomfrey.  And would he?  Considering what was currently going on?

:: ** _You’re a jerk, do you know that?_** :: he muttered at the other as he thought about what to do.

:: **Actually, I’m a brat** :: the person smirked.  :: **As I’ve been called so many times**.::

:: ** _Why am I not surprised_**?:: Harry mumbled at the other and he could hear them laugh softly.  He shifted in his bed, squirming to get in a better position, when a new thought came to him.

:: ** _Hey!_** :: he said, slightly indignant.  :: ** _You never told me your name!_** ::

:: **I told you I would tell you after I got everything from you** :: the voice replied, then paused.  :: **I guess I have gotten everything from you though since I have all your memories at hand.  So yeah, I should tell you my name**.::

:: ** _Well?_** :: he muttered to them as he settled in comfortably.  Harry could feel the lure of regular sleep and he struggled fruitlessly to push it away.  He didn’t really understand what was going on right now but he figured he had better find out as much as he could about this person in his head before talking to Pomfrey or Dumbledore about them.  He didn’t want them to think him as crazy as some people thought him.

There was a moment of silence from the other one then he could hear a sigh.  :: **Well, what harm could it cause?** :: the voice murmured to itself.  In a slightly louder voice, the person answered.

Any shred of sleep fled from him and his heart paused in its beating.

:: ** _What did you say?_** :: he whispered, frozen.

He felt the other one roll their eyes, obviously unaware of his shock and horror.  In a slightly irritated voice, they repeated, :: **I said my name is Qye.  Is there a problem with that?** ::

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnd this is the chapter where everyone starts to freak out and hate me. XD All I can say is give it time and a chance! ^_^


	10. Suspicions and Plans

Qye, the writer of the journal.

Qye, the writer of the journal he had been reading for the past month.

:: **Right…there seems to be a problem after all…** :: the newly named person said after a long moment of silence.  He once again got the odd feeling of the person – Qye – raising his eyebrow.  But…was it actually him?

:: **Hey, you still there?  What’s the matter now?** :: Qye said irritably.  :: **I tell you my name and now you’ve gone all quiet and still.  I’m getting the feeling that something’s wrong.  What?  Does my name offend you?** ::

:: ** _S’not that…_** :: Harry thought, staring blankly into the darkened room.  :: ** _Just…your name…Qye…that’s your real name?_** ::

:: **Last time I checked** :: the other replied in a slightly annoyed voice.  :: **I’m not aware of being anything else.** ::  There was a moment of silence, this time from the voice’s end, and Harry felt a slight flash of confusion from the other before it quickly vanished.  :: **Is there something the matter with my name?** :: the other boy continued after the moment.

Harry said nothing, still staring into the room.  The voice was Qye, the mysterious person he had been reading about all November.  How much of a coincidence was it that after a month of learning about him the boy had found his way into his head?  And after taking a potion on the subconscious…he wouldn’t be surprised if he had thoughts about Qye in there.

:: **Hey!** :: Qye – supposedly – snapped while Harry stared at the moonlit room.  :: **Burn me, what the hell is wrong with you now?  I tell you my name and you’re giving off this feeling of something like horror and shock.  Care to explain?** ::

He was silent for a moment then said quietly, :: ** _Your name is really Qye?_** ::

:: **Yes** :: the other growled.  :: **For the last bloody time, my name is Qye.  What has that got to do with anything?** ::

:: ** _Tell me something about yourself_** :: he asked, ignoring the question.  Maybe if ‘Qye’ told him something he didn’t know it would disprove what he feared.  Maybe.

:: **Why should I?** :: Qye replied warily.  :: **What’s going on?  Do I know you?** ::

:: ** _I…I don’t think so_** :: Harry said softly.  :: ** _Just…please, just tell me something about yourself.  It’s fair, isn’t it?  I mean, apparently, you have all my personal thoughts and memories at hand.  It’s only fair I should know something about you_**.::

:: **Whoever said I was fair?** :: the voice said sardonically.  Qye was silent then said quietly, :: **You have a bigger motive for asking me this.  It’s not just because it’s all quid pro quo.  You know something about me.  You recognize my name**.::  He was silent again then sighed.  :: **Fine, I’ll tell you something since you’re obviously too damn stubborn to let it go.  But I want to know why afterwards.  You’re going to tell me**.::  It wasn’t a question.

:: ** _All right_** :: Harry said, his eyes closing.  He waited nervously, his chest tight with fear and anticipation.

:: **Well, I don’t know what you want me to say** :: Qye said thoughtfully.  :: **I guess I’ll just give you my basic info.  I’m a boy, obviously, ten years old last time I checked.  I live with my relatives in a suburban area a bit away from London.  I go to public school and don’t have any friends my age because all the idiots my age are…well, idiots.  I only have a couple of friends and I sometimes stay with them for the holidays.  My best friend is five years older than me, has an insane sister, creepy dad but great mom.  Oh, and he’s a vampire and a complete pain in the arse.** ::

He let out a small sigh, the tightness in his chest loosening slightly.  He had guessed some things about Qye before but there were pieces of information in that brief biography that he hadn’t known from his readings.  For instance…

:: ** _You have a vampire for a best friend?_** :: Harry asked in a disbelieving tone of voice.

:: **Yeah…so?** :: Qye replied defensively.  :: **He’s a complete jerk, but just because he’s a vampire doesn’t mean he’s evil or anything.  He hasn’t tried to bite me or anything and I’ve known him for five years.** ::

:: ** _I didn’t mean it like that_** :: he said hastily.  :: ** _It’s just…you have a vampire for a best friend and you don’t believe in magic.  Isn’t that a bit …odd?_** ::

:: **I never said I didn’t believe in magic** :: Qye muttered.  :: **I just don’t think it’s the answer to every odd thing that happens in the world.  There’s always got to be a rational and logical explanation for everything that happens.** ::

:: ** _Right…_** ::

He rubbed his chest, still feeling a small knot in there.  Despite the fact that Qye had given him some information that he hadn’t known, it still wasn’t solid evidence to disprove his thought.

:: ** _What’s his name?_** :: he asked curiously.

:: **Doesn’t matter** :: Qye muttered.  :: **Listen, you said you just wanted me to tell you something about myself and I did more than that.  Now would you mind telling me why you asked me this and why my name seems to mean something to you?** ::

Harry shifted in the bed, feeling exhaustion beginning to arise once again in him.  He shoved it away, forcing himself to stay awake.  He had promised to tell the other boy.

:: ** _I…I thought I might have created you from my mind_** :: he muttered to Qye.  :: ** _I thought I was insane or something since my potion was wrong.  I just wanted to see if you knew things that I didn’t_**.::

:: **You don’t think I’m a real person** :: replied Qye dryly.  :: **You think I’m just a figment of your imagination, made up from your subconscious.  Right?** ::  There was a small snort of laughter.  :: **Sorry to disappoint you but I am a real person**.::

:: ** _I’m not entirely sure about that_** :: he mumbled and he felt Qye’s attention focus on him even more.

:: **What’s that supposed to mean?** :: Qye said a slightly sharp voice.  Harry felt the other’s eyes narrow slightly – he shivered slightly at the feeling – and the boy continued.  :: **I tell you I’m a real person and you have doubts about this.  Why is that?  And for another thing, you still haven’t answered my question as to why you reacted to my name**.::

:: ** _It’s just…well, I have your journal_** :: he said hesitantly.  Silence met his words, surprise and slight anger emanating from the person in his head.

:: **You have my journal…** :: Qye said flatly after a minute had passed.  The boy was quiet again and then, still using that flat tone of voice, he said, :: **How and why the hell do you have my journal?** ::

:: ** _I found it in the cupboard under the stairs in my hous_** e:: he said quietly.  :: ** _I was looking around and -_** ::

:: **Wait a minute** :: the other boy broke in suddenly, shock coming off from him.  :: **What do you mean your house?** ::

:: ** _Well, I’ve been living there since I was a year old_** :: Harry replied, slightly confused and worried from the other’s stunned reaction.  :: ** _I’m fifteen now and I don’t remember ever moving away from there and -_** :: He stopped.  Qye had obviously lived there before him and since he had just said he was ten and was shocked by finding out that he was living there now…was this boy a ghost?

:: **I’m not dead** :: Qye said irritably even though Harry could feel his confusion and slight fear.  He gave a small start as he realized the other boy had read his thoughts and he sighed inwardly.  He guessed there would be nothing he would be able to hide from him.

:: ** _I’m sorry_** :: he said quietly.  :: ** _I didn’t mean to…I should have thought more about -_** ::

:: **Forget it** :: Qye replied, sighing slightly.  He was quiet then he sighed again.  :: **So you’re apparently living where I used to live**.::  He sounded slightly disturbed.  :: **And you said you’ve been living there since you were little.  Which means I haven’t been living there in quite some time, which is odd because the last thing I do remember is falling asleep in…in my room**.::

:: ** _Something must have happened…_** :: he murmured, slightly drowsy.  :: ** _Something must have happened to you before I moved in there.  But…I don’t understand.  Why are you in my head?  And after I took a potion meant for my subconscious?_** ::

:: **I don’t know:** : Qye replied in frustration.  :: **You have my journal and it’s been years apparently that I’ve been away from it.  I don’t know what happened.  I don’t remember anything unusual happening until I woke up here.  Damn it!** ::  Aggravation and fear emitted from him

:: ** _What do you remember?_** :: murmured Harry in a slightly soothing voice, beginning to drift off to sleep slowly.

He didn’t say anything for a moment and Harry felt frustration flare in the other boy.  :: **I remember my life** :: Qye said finally, as the frustration slowly dimmed.  :: **I remember each and everything that happened in it, the events, the places.  I remember growing up and what I went through each day.  But…** ::

:: ** _But what?_** ::

The other boy sighed.  :: **But I can’t remember some names, faces of people.  I just noticed this right now.  Some things…they’re fuzzy, like I was half asleep when they happened.  I can’t get a grasp on them even though I know I should**.::

:: ** _Maybe you really are a creation of my subconscious…_** :: Harry laughed humorlessly.  :: ** _Maybe the reason you can’t remember is because I’m too tired to make up names.  S’why I don’t think you’re real.  I’m afraid I’m just making things up so you can seem more real.  Maybe I have gone insane_**.::

:: **Don’t be an idiot** :: Qye said in annoyed voice.  :: **I am a real person, thank you very much.  Some of my memories might be off but I’m sure they’ll come back to me eventually.  They’re probably all messed up because I’m stuck inside your head.  Maybe whatever brought me in here screwed them up.** ::

:: ** _Maybe…_** :: he replied softly.  Darkness once again began to surround him and he welcomed the freedom from the confusion gratefully.

:: **You still don’t think I’m a real person, do you?** :: Qye sighed.  :: **You know, the first thing I’m going to do when I get out of here and back into my own body is smack you**.::

:: ** _Brat_** :: Harry muttered, finally slipping off into sleep.

Just before he fell completely asleep, he heard Qye mumble, :: **Takes one to know one, prat**.::

\-------

Another statue exploded, the shattered pieces of marble flying everywhere.

The blond vampire watched the destruction of another useless piece of art with a dispassionate face.  He turned his eyes, the only part of him that held any emotion, towards another statue.  His dark blue eyes were the only thing that truly showed what he was feeling inside.

The marble of another statue cracked slowly, and then exploded with the same intensity like the one before it.

His pale lips curved into a humorless smile.  Well, his eyes weren’t the only thing that showed how pissed off he was.

_‘Tell me where he is!’_

_‘N…no!  Stop, for the love of God, stop!’_

_‘Then tell me where he is!  He’s not here!  Where is he?!’_

_‘Fine!  Please, stop, I’ll tell, I’ll tell!’_

A mirror to the left of the broken statue erupted into a million small fragments and he grimaced slightly.  Forcing the snarl from his face, he looked down coldly at the broken pieces of glass.  Sighing in irritation, he dropped into a nearby armchair.

Dark blue eyes turned to the small, flickering fire in the hearth, the eyes half-closed and looking half-asleep.  The few people who had seen him with these eyes no longer graced the world with their presence and a cold smile came upon his face as he recalled this.  The smile faded when another part of the memory came to him.

_‘You’re lying.’_

_‘No!  We swear, that’s where he is!’_

_‘I’m not in the mood for jokes, vermin.’_

_‘We’re not lying!’_

His white hands lying atop the armrest clenched slightly as he continued to stare into the dying embers.  They had to be lying.  He couldn’t possibly be there.  Ever since coming back, he had been telling himself this.  But now…his eyes slowly fluttered shut and he let out a loud breath.  He had to consider the possibility.  If he _was_ there…

In the fireplace, the embers struggled against the growing coldness.  But just before they were swallowed up, they gave one last, large burst of heat and a new flame was born to replace it.

\-------

Harry stirred slightly, his eyes fluttering open slowly.  Stifling a yawn, he raised a hand to rub at his bleary eyes.  The winter sunlight poured in from the window and he slowly sat up, hearing bustle from Madam Pomfrey’s office.

‘ _Was it all a dream?_ ’ he wondered, rubbing his eyes and groping for his glasses.  ‘ _Did I just imagine it all?_ ’

:: **Imagine what?** ::

His hand stilled on top of the drawer next to his bed as he heard the voice in his head.  Sighing quietly, he grabbed his glasses and shoved them on.  ‘ _Guess not_ ,’ Harry thought glumly as the room came into focus.

:: **Oh, I see.  You were wishing I wasn’t real, were you?  I feel so loved** :: Qye smirked and Harry shivered as he recognized the feeling of the other boy looking through his memories.

:: ** _Cut that out_** :: he muttered to Qye, looking around the Infirmary tiredly and noticing that he was the only one in right now.  :: ** _Why do you keep doing that?_** ::

:: **Because I know it bothers you** :: Qye replied idly as he continued to look through Harry’s memories.  :: **And because, like I said before, I find it interesting.  And I have nothing better to do.  I would rather read about your life than just stare at a bunch of books and “float” around here.  You know abysmally little about your school’s history, did you know that?  If I had been you, I would learn everything I could about it.** ::

:: ** _Yeah, well…_** :: Harry thought, trying to think up an excuse for not reading Hogwarts, A History and trying not to notice how Qye and Hermione seemed to have a lot of similarities.  He was saved from thinking something up when the school nurse came out of her office.

“Ah, so you’re finally awake, Mr. Potter,” she said crisply, walking over to his bed.  “We were all quite worried about you for a while.  How are you feeling?  Do you feel anything different?”

‘ _Besides having a voice in my head that belongs to the owner of the journal I’ve been reading for the past month?  No, nothing different at all,_ ’ Harry thought and he heard Qye laugh softly as he continued to flip through his memories.

“No, ma’am,” he said quietly as she pressed a hand up to his forehead.  He sat silently as she took his temperature and probed him, obviously looking to see if his incorrect potion had done anything to him physically.

:: **Quite submissive, aren’t you?** :: Qye noted and Harry repressed a shiver as he felt the odd pressure behind his eyes, telling him Qye was looking through them.

:: ** _What do you mean?_** :: he asked confusedly as Madam Pomfrey took out her wand and muttered a spell, waving it over him.  The tip of it turned white and she carefully moved it around him.

:: **I mean, you’re not saying or asking anything about how long you were asleep or the accident** :: Qye said.  :: **You’re just sitting there and letting her do what she wants**.   **Aren’t you curious to know what’s been happening while you’ve been asleep?** ::

:: ** _Uh…_** :: Harry thought, looking blankly at the school nurse as she ran her wand over him.  :: ** _You want me to disturb her while she’s doing her job?_** ::  Qye made an affirmative sound and he had to suppress a cough.  :: ** _Er…why don’t you go find my memories of her?  I’m sure I have enough of them.  They’ll probably explain this better than me just saying it._** ::

Harry felt Qye retreat from behind his eyes and as he watched Pomfrey’s wand tip turn dark green, he felt the other boy rummaging around his memories.  As Pomfrey ended the spell, Harry amusedly felt Qye stop “reading” his memory of the strong and strict nurse.

:: **Oh…** :: Qye finally said after a moment.  He heard the other boy cough, as if trying not to laugh.  :: **Well then…** ::

:: ** _Yeah_** :: Harry thought back, smiling inwardly.  He heard Qye chuckle quietly as Madam Pomfrey wrapped up her check-up.

“Well, Mr. Potter, looks like you’re all right now,” she said, walking over to his drawer and pulling out his clothes.  “Whatever happened to you didn’t appear to leave any lasting damage.”

‘ _Yeah, right_ ,’ Harry thought as he pulled his clothes over to him and pushed away the covers.  Qye was silent but he got the distinct feeling that the other was listening.

“I suppose I just messed up my potion really bad,” he said hesitantly, as he looked up at the school nurse looking down at him.  She pursued her lips, her eyes looking thoughtfully at him for a moment.

“Actually, Professor Snape checked your potion after you collapsed,” she said finally.  “When we couldn’t wake you up, he checked what was left of it to see if perhaps the potion had turned into something poisonous.  But even though he had it tested again and again, the results always said that the potion was correct.”

Harry froze, staring at Madam Pomfrey, as the words meaning hit him.  “But…but it was a different color then it was supposed to be,” he said, shocked.  “It had to be wrong.”

“Severus said it was correct,” she said, shrugging slightly.  “You must just be allergic to it.  Perhaps you’re incompatible with one of the ingredients in the potion and that was what caused you to have your reaction.  It is not uncommon.”

Harry looked down at his clothes, tightening his hands on them slightly.  _‘If the potion was correct…then what caused Qye?_ ’ he thought numbly.

Qye said nothing but he knew the other boy was wondering the same thing.

“I’m letting you go since there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with you,” Madam Pomfrey said, not noticing his silence.  “But if you feel any different, I want you to come straight to me.  And I want you to have lots of chocolate.  I think you have enough,” she said, motioning to the small pile at the end of his bed that he hadn’t noticed before.

:: **Chocolate?** :: Qye said, puzzled but Harry didn’t say anything, smiling at the candies and piled up get-well cards.

“A lot of people came and visited you while you were unconscious,” she said, smiling slightly.  “I think you should send some letters to Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger when you have time soon.  They were quite worried about you.”

“Letters?” he said, turning his eyes away from the gifts and blinking up at her.  Her smile faded.

“Mr. Potter,” she began, looking slightly hesitant, “You’ve been unconscious for almost a week.  Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger have already left for the holidays.  They came and visited you while they were still here but they had to leave.”  Her kind blue eyes looked down in sympathetic sadness at him and he drew his eyes away from her, unwilling to see any form of pity.

“Oh…” he said quietly, looking back down at his clothes and trying to push away some of his disappointment.  He had missed sending them off and now he was alone for winter break.  Madam Pomfrey quietly went back to her office, leaving him to get dressed.

:: **Nice friends you have** :: Qye said as Harry stood up from his bed, wincing at the soreness in his body.

:: ** _Shut up_** :: he scowled at the other boy as he changed out of hospital garments and into his own clothes.  :: ** _They had to go back home for the break.  I can’t force them to stay with me, they have their own lives.  And I know they were reluctant to leave.  Besides, I would have felt worse if they had stayed and skipped spending the holidays with their families._** ::

:: **Right…** :: Qye said quietly.  :: **You still wished they had stayed though**.::

Harry shrugged into his sweater.  :: ** _Doesn’t matter_** :: he muttered to the other boy.  :: ** _Would’ve been nice, I suppose.  But I still would have felt guilty_**.::  As he stepped into his sneakers, another thought came to him.

:: ** _Do…do you suppose I should tell anyone about this?_** :: he asked Qye hesitantly.  :: ** _I mean…about you in my head and all._** ::

:: **No** :: Qye responded promptly and Harry blinked.

:: ** _Why not?_** :: he asked confusedly as he carefully placed the chocolates and cards into his bag lying by the bed.

:: **Do you honestly believe that anyone will believe you’re sane?** :: Qye said, raising an eyebrow.  :: **Hell, you don’t even believe I’m real.  I’ve been thinking about this since you went to sleep last night and if you tell someone about me stuck in your head without solid proof, you’ll end up in the loony bin with me along for the ride.** ::

:: ** _So…what should we do?_** :: Harry asked, furrowing his brow.

Qye sighed.  :: **Let’s see if we can find a way out of this mess by ourselves** :: the other boy said wearily.  :: **Your school has an extensive library from what I’ve read.  Maybe it has the answer to our problem.  It’s bound to have something on that potion you drank, we could start from there**.::

Harry leaned against the bed, crossing his arms and looking down at the floor.  Qye had a point.  He doubted anyone, not even Ron or Hermione, would believe him if he told them he had a voice in his head that he had conversations with.  Maybe Dumbledore…but he didn’t want to take the chance.

Qye’s plan sounded reasonable.  He could learn more about the other boy and if they didn’t find a solution, at least he would have some proof to back up having Qye in his head.  Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair.

:: ** _Alright_** :: he sighed.  :: ** _Let’s do it your way_**.::

:: **If you come up with anything, I’m more than willing to hear about it** :: Qye muttered to him.  :: **But until then, don’t tell a soul**.::

:: ** _I won’t_** :: he said, slinging his bag over his head.  As he walked away from his bed and towards the exit of the Infirmary, Madam Pomfrey popped out of her office.

“Remember to come back to me if you feel anything different and remember to eat some chocolate,” she said, eyeing him with critically.

“I will,” Harry said quietly and she nodded in satisfaction.  Just before he left, she called after him and he turned back, looking curiously at her.

“Remember to thank Mr. Malfoy next time you see him, Mr. Potter,” she said, her lips twitching slightly.  He stared at her and she coughed, raising a hand to her mouth.  “He was the one who carried you up here after you fainted and he visited you at least twice while you were unconscious.  I think the least you can do is thank him.”

“M...Malfoy?!” he repeated incredulously.  She smiled and nodded, turning briskly back into her office.  He stared after her for a moment, then shook his head and left the Infirmary.

‘ _Why would Malfoy do that?_ ’ he thought, bewildered.

:: **Who is he?** :: Qye asked curiously.  :: **For some reason, the name sounds vaguely familiar…** ::

:: ** _He’s…well, I guess he was my rival_** :: Harry said, still slightly stunned from the new information.  :: ** _We hated each other from the first train ride here and we compete in almost everything.  He’s been acting weird lately though…why don’t you just read my memories?_** ::

:: **Because future opinion is different from past opinion** :: Qye said.  He must have sensed Harry’s confusion because he continued.  :: **What you think about something in the past is different from what you think about it in the present, and different from what you think about it in the future.  Your memories are all past and I’m curious about what you’re thinking in the present.** ::

:: ** _…okay…_** ::

Qye sighed.  :: **Ninny** :: the other boy muttered.

Harry shook his head, rubbing his temples.  He really had to get this boy out of his head.  He’d probably go mad if he had to listen to him anymore.  As he walked back to Gryffindor Tower, Harry silently made a promise to get back at whoever or whatever caused this.


	11. Returns

:: **Right, remind me why we’re doing this again?** :: Qye asked as Harry stood leaning against a wall in the Entrance Hall on the last day of holidays.

The winter wind was blowing in through the open doors at the end of the hall and as Harry wrapped his arms around himself for warmth, more and more students entered, returning from their visits back home.

Tightening the red and gold scarf around his neck, he replied to Qye as he continued to look through the crowd of students.

:: **I _am doing this because I want to greet Ron and Hermione back after our first holidays spent separate.  They’re my best friends and I’ve missed them a lot these past two weeks with just you, Malfoy and the staff.  I think I’m entitled to being a little eager for their return._ You _are just tagging along for the ride_**.::  As he lifted his head, trying to spot flaming red or bushy brown hair among the sea of heads, he added, :: ** _And you better not say anything while I’m saying hello to them.  The last thing I need is for them to worry about my sanity_**.::

:: **I’d be worried already** :: the other boy muttered and Harry rolled his eyes.  He hardly noticed when he felt the other once again began to flip through his memories as he resumed in his search for his friends.  Memory-browsing had quickly become one of Qye’s favorite pastimes, much to Harry’s annoyance.

:: ** _I really wish you wouldn’t do that_** :: he said to the other boy, sighing as he rubbed his hands together for warmth.  He hoped Ron and Hermione came quickly; the Entrance Hall was becoming colder and colder by the minute.

:: **If wishes were wings, pigs would fly** :: Qye replied absently, indicating that he was already deeply immersed in “reading” one of his memories.  :: **Get used to it.  You’ve had two weeks to prepare.** ::

Harry snorted silently.  Prepare, indeed.  Ever since he had left the Infirmary, he had to deal with having Qye inside his head around other people.  It had taken him a couple of days to control his shivers whenever the other boy had felt the sudden urge to flip through his life.  (He remembered one particular incident where he had been half-asleep at the breakfast table, sitting next to a first-year Hufflepuff, when his new companion had decided to find out more about the Houses.  After managing to find a pitiful excuse for his jerk, he had offered to buy the poor girl a new sweater.)

But oh no, it didn’t end there.  After managing to control his body’s responses to the browsing feeling, he then had to control his reactions to Qye’s comments.  He never thought a ten year old – or anyone for the matter – could have a coarser vocabulary than Ron but he was proven wrong.  Madam Pomfrey had almost dragged him back to the Infirmary after seeing him blush one too many times, convinced he must have been coming down with a delayed reaction to the potion. 

The potion.  Now there was another matter altogether.  Harry dropped his eyes to the floor, still rubbing his hands together.  The first chance he had after leaving the Infirmary, he had sped straight to the Library and to the section on subconscious potions and…nothing.  Absolutely nothing that could have caused Qye to suddenly pop into his head.  The other boy had suggested looking at the ingredients.

:: **Maybe the nurse was right** :: he had said as Harry had looked at the books in frustration.  :: **Maybe you are allergic to one of the ingredients in the potion.  Perhaps your magic might have…I don’t know…had a reaction to your potion and brought me here?** ::

:: ** _Maybe…_** :: Harry had replied, doubtful.  He had picked out the book with the recipe for the potion and stared at it wearily.  :: ** _Might as well try looking through them…I can’t think of anything else that could have done this except the potion._** ::

Harry grimaced slightly, glancing back up at the crowd to check if Ron and Hermione had come in yet.  Not seeing them, he dropped his eyes back down.  The ingredients’ theory had sounded good in the beginning.  But without knowing which ingredient he could have been allergic to – unless he chose to test them all, something he didn’t particularly fancy – they had a grand total of 27 ingredients to research, some basic potion, others a bit more rare.  And he had no clue how any of them could have caused this.  He blew out his bangs in frustration.

‘ _Stupid Snape_ ,’ he thought to himself, slightly irritated.  ‘ _I knew that potion was wrong, **knew** I shouldn’t have taken it but no…_ ’

:: **Yes, let’s blame him** :: Qye said dryly and Harry sighed. 

:: ** _Must you read my thoughts all the time?_** :: he asked the other boy wearily, raising his eyes to the crowd once more.  He stopped rubbing his hands together, giving up on the idea of getting them warm.  Instead, he bundled himself up in his coat and robes, burrowing his face in his scarf.

:: **It’s not like I have a choice, you know** :: Qye replied.  :: **Your thoughts are like your voice, I can’t tell if you’re talking to me or yourself.** ::

Harry sighed again, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

“Depressed?”

“Annoyed is more like it,” he muttered back to the cool voice without thinking.  Then his eyes shot open and he jerked his head up to blink at a smirking Malfoy.

‘ _Oh great, just what I needed_ ,’ he thought, staring at those amused gray eyes.

“Well, I can understand that too,” Malfoy drawled, crossing his arms and leaning sideways on the same wall as him.  The taller boy smirked down – Harry’s eyebrow twitched a bit at this – at him.

“What are you talking about?” he asked, looking warily up at the Slytherin.  “And what are you doing?”

A pale eyebrow rose up.  “Well,” Malfoy said, still smirking, “I’m leaning against this wall and talking with you.  What does it look like?”

“Another way for you to torment me,” Harry replied irritably, glaring up at the blond.  “Can’t you find another wall to lean on?  Or another person to torture?  Or, better yet, another school?”

The pale boy widened his eyes exaggeratedly.  “Oh, I’m so hurt,” Malfoy said in an injured voice, raising a hand to his chest.  “The great Harry Potter dislikes my presence.  How will I go on?”  Malfoy snorted and dropped his hand, smirking at him.  “I happen to go to this school too, you know, and if I want to lean against _this_ wall, then I’ll lean against this wall.”  He crossed his arms again and rested more on the wall.

Harry gritted his teeth.  “Fine,” he growled slightly, his bright green eyes flashing with annoyance at the pale boy.  “I’ll leave then.”  He pushed off the wall and turned to go further down the Entrance Hall.  He shivered slightly as he felt the cold touch his back, which had just begun to warm up against the wall.  But, he decided, the cold was better than being stuck with an annoying git like -

He had barely taken a step away when Malfoy’s hand flashed out and grasped his wrist.  Frustrated, he turned back around to face the other boy, his eyes flashing angrily at him.

“What?” he growled, glaring at the Slytherin.  He shivered slightly as a sudden gust of wind chilled the hall even more and he unconsciously stepped closer to the other boy for warmth. Harry looked down at the ivory hand holding his wrist firmly and dimly noted that despite their frigid appearance, the pale boy’s hands were actually quite warm. 

“So, you’re really depressed that the rodent couple is coming back?” Malfoy asked, ignoring his question and not letting go of his wrist.

“Don’t insult them!” he snapped, his eyes snapping back up to Malfoy’s gray ones, and forgetting completely about the other boy’s warmth.  His green eyes met the Slytherin’s furiously and he continued without thinking.  “It’s funny who you’re calling a rodent here, Ferret,” he said sarcastically.

The amusement faded from the gray eyes, replaced with the coolness that they had adopted since the beginning of the school year.  Malfoy dropped his wrist and Harry repressed a shiver from the sudden cold.  He barely stopped himself from reaching out and grabbing hold of the warm hand once again, firmly reminding himself who the owner of the source of heat was.

“Nice comeback, Potter,” Malfoy drawled coolly, the stormy gray eyes looking at him indifferently.  “Even after a year, it’s still good.”  Malfoy turned and began to walk away.  “You can have your wall back, I suppose,” he said over his shoulder.  “I’ll just go find my own.  And by the way, you should probably get your prescription checked again.  Granger and the Weasel just walked in.”

Harry stared at the retreating back of the pale Slytherin, watching as he turned around the corner and disappeared from sight.

‘ _He didn’t hex me_ ,’ he thought, still staring at the spot where the taller boy had stood.  ‘ _I don’t get it…last year, he was more than ready to kill me if I even **thought** about calling him that and now…he just walks away.  I just don’t get it.  Why is he so different?_ ’

He raised his hand and idly rubbed the wrist Malfoy had grabbed.  It still felt slightly warm from the touch.  ‘ _This is the third time he’s touched me this year_ ,’ he mused.  ‘ _Probably third time he’s touched me in our entire time knowing each other that he hasn’t had the intention of doing me some harm.  First, he carries me up to the Infirmary when I pass out.  And the second time was when I was already out of the Infirmary_.’

 ~~~~~

:: ** _One of these better have something or I’m going to throw a fit_** :: _Harry thought to Qye as he carefully walked down the deserted hallway with a large stack of books in his arms, the pile reaching beyond his eyes so he had to crane his head around the books to see the hallway.  Each book had something or another on one of the ingredients in the subconscious potion and each tome weighed about half a pound._

:: **Patience is a virtue** :: _Qye said calmly but Harry could feel faint flickers of amusement.  He scowled slightly as he shifted the books in his arms._

:: ** _Patience doesn’t help when you’re carrying a load of books that weigh more than a ton_** :: _he grumbled back at the other boy, using his nose to nudge a book that was teetering on the edge of falling_.  :: ** _Remind me again_ why _I’m carrying all these at the same time?_** ::

:: **Because the Library is closed tomorrow and if we finish these books, we’ll be done researching two of the ingredients on the list** :: _Qye replied patiently.  Then he added with a small grin_ :: **And it’s a small bit of entertainment for me.** ::

:: ** _Brat_** :: _he snarled._

:: **Prat** :: _Qye replied cheerfully._

:: ** _I swear_** :: _Harry growled, shifting the books slightly so they obscured his vision for a moment as he rounded a corner_ , :: ** _The minute we get this fixed, I’m going to_** \- ::

_CRASH!_

_Harry yelped as he ran into something, stumbling back as the books fell from his arms and crashed down on the floor.  He tripped on the edge of his robes and he braced himself for a fall…_

_…which was prevented when a hand flew out and grasped his own, tugging him back to a standing position.  He stumbled slightly again and bumped up against someone’s chest.  He grasped onto one of their arms, steadying himself and grimacing from the wave of dizziness that hit him from changing from falling to standing too quickly._

:: **Oh, god** :: _Qye said sickly_.  :: **Oh, good gods, _never_ do that again.  Ugh…** ::

:: ** _S’not like I planned it_** :: _Harry muttered back, closing his eyes and pushing away the dizziness._

:: **Ugh…** :: _Qye groaned_.  :: **This double vision thing really sucks.  Memo to self: Never look when walking or in any form of motion.  Gods…** ::

_Harry shook his head, opening his eyes and letting go of the other person’s arm.  “Thanks,” he muttered, raising a hand to straighten his glasses._

_“You’re such a klutz, Potter,” a familiar drawling voice said amusedly.  “First botching up the potion, and now this?  I’m surprised you can make it up the stairs without breaking a leg or an arm.”_

_He froze.  Slowly, he raised his head…_

_…and jumped when he found Draco Malfoy’s face barely an inch away from his own, a pale eyebrow raised._

_“Malfoy!”_

_He jerked out of the other boy’s hold, hurriedly taking more than a few steps back and flushing slightly.  The Slytherin rolled his eyes._

_“You’re welcome,” Malfoy said sarcastically and Harry flushed even more._

_He dropped his eyes to the floor, then grimaced when he saw all the books strewn across the ground.  Sighing silently, he dropped to his knees and slowly began to pick up the books again, stacking them into a neat pile.  He started in surprise when Malfoy kneeled down and began to help him._

_“You’ve got to learn to be more careful, Potter. What would I do without my rival?” the pale boy drawled as he carefully picked up the books._

_Harry blinked and uneasily returned to gathering the books, looking at the Slytherin from the corner of his eye.  “Is that why you carried me to the Infirmary?” he asked warily._

_Malfoy stilled for a moment, then resumed gathering the books again.  “They told you,” he said quietly, not meeting Harry’s eyes and not answering the question.  Harry nodded and waited for an answer but Malfoy said nothing, merely finished picking up the books._

_Harry stood when the pale boy did, looking intently at him.  “Well?” he demanded, looking at the other boy._

_The Slytherin raised an eyebrow.  “Well what?” he said coolly._

_He glared at Malfoy slightly.  “Well, why did you help me up to the Infirmary?” he asked, slightly irritated._

_The pale boy turned his head away, crossing his arms.  The Slytherin looked at him from the corner of his eye and was silent for a moment, the gray eyes studying him.  Harry shifted uncomfortably in the spot but determinedly kept his gaze._

_“Why wouldn’t I?” Malfoy said finally, raising an eyebrow.  “In case you’ve forgotten, you’re my partner in almost all my classes and I don’t fancy finishing up all the work by myself while you breeze by with a sick excuse.”_

_Harry looked suspiciously at him, uncertain whether he should believe the other boy or not.  Normally, he would have suspected an ulterior motive but the way the Slytherin had been acting lately, he wasn’t sure if he was lying or not._

_Malfoy sniffed and dropped his arms.  “We still have the rest of the year ahead of us, Potter,” he said, the gray eyes looking at him calmly.  “So be careful, will you?  I don’t want to do all the work while you laze around.”_

_The Slytherin began to walk past him, then paused.  “I can’t always be there to catch you when you fall, Potter,” he said, the gray eyes looking seriously at him.  “But that doesn’t mean I’ll stand by and watch you go down…not if I can do something about it.”  Malfoy patted him on the head like Professor Opacre usually did, smirking slightly.   “Take care of yourself, Potty.”_

_Harry stared as Malfoy walked away, the books lying forgotten on the floor._

_~~~~~_

:: **I knew it**.::

Harry blinked, drawn back from the memory.  :: ** _Er…knew what?_** :: he asked Qye, puzzled by the new feeling of smugness and knowing.

:: **Oh, come on, it’s obvious** :: Qye snickered.

:: ** _What is?_** :: Harry asked confusedly.

:: **You _like_ him**.::

Harry’s face flamed.

He spluttered for a moment, incoherently and vehemently denying anything and everything.  Unfortunately, he was unable to come up with a sensible response when an angry voice came from behind him.

“What the hell did _he_ want?!”

He turned around and blinked when he came face to face with an indignant Ron, who was staring at the corner Malfoy had rounded, and a bemused Hermione, who was staring at him.  He blinked again and flushed slightly.

“Oh, you know, he just wanted to bug me again,” he said, shrugging and shoving his hands in his pockets.  “It’s his role in life, remember?”  Ron growled slightly and continued to glare at the corner as if it were Malfoy himself.  Harry smiled slightly, then turned to look at Hermione.

His smiled faded as he saw the strange look in her eyes and he blinked at her.  “Is something wrong?” he questioned, furrowing his brow slightly.  She blinked and started, flushing slightly.

“Ah…no,” she said, shaking her head.  She smiled and hugged him.  “It’s good to see you again, Harry.  I’m so sorry we weren’t able to stay, I was so worried when I left, Ron and me both, you were unconscious and wouldn’t wake up and we stayed with you as often as we could and - ”

:: **Good gods, she’s like Myn!** :: Qye said, shocked.  Harry felt Qye was looking through his eyes.  :: **How the hell can women speak so much and so fast with only one breath?** ::

:: ** _I have no idea…_** :: Harry thought back, hugging his friend back before letting go.

Hermione continued, “ – I honestly didn’t want to leave you, it was bad enough you were going to be left alone but now we couldn’t even say good bye and - ”

“'Mione, enough,” Ron interrupted, finally stopping in his glaring of the corner and looking exasperatedly at the bushy-haired girl.  “You’re scaring him.”  The redhead grinned at Harry while Hermione scowled at him.  “Have a good holiday, mate?”

“It was quiet,” Harry replied, shrugging and smiling back slightly.  “Yours?”

“Opposite,” Ron responded promptly, shoving his hands in his pockets.  “Wait till you see Fred and George, I think they still have a couple of Mum’s hexes on them.  Did you get our gifts?” he asked. 

“Yeah,” Harry nodded and flushed a bit when he remembered staring at the large box he found at the end of his bed on Christmas. 

The redhead grinned, most likely guessing what Harry had thought of.  “Dad told us she threw a fit when Dumbledore refused to let you come with us for the holidays because of ‘security precautions.’  She had kittens about you all break and decided to make up for it in gifts.”  He pitched his voice to imitate Molly Weasley’s.  “‘Oh, the poor boy, all alone in that big castle for two whole weeks!’  I would avoid Fred and George if I were you,” Ron snickered, his blue eyes twinkling with mirth.  “You’ll never hear the end of it.”

Harry groaned and buried his face in his hands.

“Ron, leave him alone,” he heard Hermione scold the redhead.  In a gentler tone of voice, she asked him, “Are you okay, Harry?”

He sighed and dropped his hands, smiling reassuringly at her worried face.  “I’m fine,” he said quietly.  She didn’t look convinced, still frowning slightly.  “Really, I’m okay,” he added.  “Nothing wrong whatsoever.”

:: **Is that so?** ::

“Listen, why don’t we get out of here?” Harry said quickly, turning around so they couldn’t see his face.  He had been preparing two weeks for when everyone came back but he still wasn’t sure if he was controlling his face properly.  “I’ve been waiting for you two for about half an hour and I’m freezing.  Why don’t we go to the Tower?”

“Sounds good to me,” Ron agreed, tugging his robes closer.  “It’s bloody cold.”  He yelped slightly as Hermione pinched him.

“Watch your language,” she said irritably and then blinked at Harry.  “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” he choked out, turning another laugh into a cough.  “Must be catching something.”  Having dealt with Qye for the past two weeks had turned his definition of ‘language’ into something a bit vulgar.  He idly wondered what Hermione would think of Qye’s language.

:: **She’d probably try to exorcise me or something** :: Qye said dryly and Harry smiled inwardly.

“Hey, can we go to the kitchens?” Ron asked suddenly.  “We can get something warm there.”

“Sure, why not?” Harry shrugged, switching directions to the kitchens.

“Do you ever think of anything else besides food?” Hermione asked, annoyed.  Harry noticed that she didn’t object to them going there though.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Ron scowled, glaring at her.  Harry sighed as the beginnings of a new argument began to arise.

:: **Are they always like this?** :: asked Qye in a disbelieving tone of voice as Harry looked at the two bicker, seeming to momentarily forget about Harry.

:: ** _Sometimes they’re worse_** :: Harry replied, watching his two best friends argue with each other with a faint smile on his lips.  :: ** _They wouldn’t be them if they didn’t bicker._** ::  He chuckled silently.  :: ** _It’s just a matter of time before they realize all this arguing means they like each other_**.::

:: **Kind of like another pair, don’t you think?** :: Qye said in a too bland tone of voice.  Harry flushed but refused to get roped in.

 ** _::I’m to the point of seriously considering locking the both of them in a closet just so they’ll stop all this pointless bickering and just snog finally_** :: Harry said, forcing away the blush and glancing to see if Ron and Hermione had noticed.  They hadn’t; they were still arguing.

:: **Now that’s funny** :: Qye mused.

Harry blinked.  :: ** _What is?_** :: he questioned.

:: **Oh, it’s just my best friend’s sister said the same thing about us**.:: Qye shrugged.  :: **Then again, Myn was always weird**.::

:: ** _Myn?_** :: Harry asked curiously.

:: **Yeah, that was one of her nicknames** :: Qye responded.  :: **Her real name -** ::

“Are you two fighting again?” a new voice laughed behind them.  Ron and Hermione immediately stopped fighting and blushed while Harry grinned in recognition.  They turned around and saw a smiling Professor Opacre.

“Hello, Professor,” they chorused together and she grinned, her fangs showing for a moment.

“Now, that’s a good welcome back,” she said cheerfully, smiling them and brushing back her long blond hair.  “Did you all have a good break from us nasty teachers?”

“You’re not nasty,” Hermione protested immediately and the vampire woman grinned.

“Of course I am,” she said merrily.  “I’m a teacher.  I give you homework and tests.  I make you use your free time studying instead of doing fun things.  I am a tyrant over how you spend your time.  Therefore, I am nasty.”

“Works for me,” Ron murmured and Professor Opacre grinned.  Hermione scowled lightly at the redhead while Harry merely smiled.

“See?” the blond woman laughed.  Then she turned her eyes onto Harry, her twinkling eyes turning concerned.  “And how are you Harry?  I heard about your accident before I left for the break.  Are you alright now?”

Harry blushed slightly.  “Ah, I’m fine,” he said quietly, ducking down his head in embarrassment.  “Thanks.”  She smiled, looking relieved, and patted his head.

“That’s good to hear, Harry.  I don’t want one of my best students lost.”  Harry blushed even more while Ron sniggered.  The vampire turned on him next and added lightly, “That counts for you too, Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger.  You three are among my top students and I won’t have any of you bailing out on me by getting injured.”

Ron turned red at the compliment and Hermione flushed with half pride, half embarrassment.  Harry grinned slightly at this and Professor Opacre smiled cheerfully at them.

“Well, I better go now,” she said, glancing at her watch.  “I have a staff meeting to get to.”  She looked back at them and smiled again.  “I’ll see you all in class so take care of yourselves until then.”  She patted Harry on the head and waved to Ron and Hermione before turning and walking away.

“Why does she always pat me?” Harry said, trying to push away his blush.  Ron snickered.

“Aw, cuz it’s fun to pat ickle Harrykins,” the redhead grinned as he patted Harry on the head.  Harry blushed even more and swiped at the offending hand.

“Leave me alone,” he muttered and turned to look pleadingly at Hermione.  Unfortunately, Hermione just smiled apologetically at him.

“Sorry, Harry,” she said, a bit sheepishly.  “But it is fun to pat you.”  And she patted him sympathetically.  Harry growled and spun around on his heels, quickly resuming their walk to the kitchens while blushing.  Hermione and Ron followed him, laughing slightly.

‘ _Least I got them to stop fighting_ ,’ he thought, shoving away the flush on his cheeks.

:: **Indeed** :: Qye said quietly and Harry blinked, momentarily slowing in his steps before resuming his brisk walk.  Hermione and Ron continued to talk behind him, unaware of his reaction.

:: ** _You were quiet_** :: Harry noted, glancing behind him to see if his friends suspected anything.

:: **Yes…well, I had something to think about**.::

Harry furrowed his brow slightly before clearing it out, not wanting to show any reaction.  There was an odd tone in Qye’s voice…:: ** _Are you okay?_** ::

:: **Fine, just fine** :: Qye said softly.  :: **Harry, who was that woman?** ::

He blinked.  :: ** _Um…that was our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.  She’s new this year.  Why?_** ::

:: **Just curious** :: the other boy said quietly.  :: **What’s her name?** ::

:: ** _Er…Marylin Opacre_** :: Harry replied.  He felt a bit of worry well up in him.  Qye was acting odd.  :: ** _Is something wrong?_** ::

:: **No, nothing wrong at all** :: Qye said calmly.  But he could feel a bit of shock from the other boy.  Before he could say anything, the portrait of a bowl of fruit came into sight and he had to abandon thinking with Qye.

As he was swept up in the cheerful welcome of the house-elves, in the joyful hug of Dobby, he thought he heard Qye whisper, :: **Myn?** ::

\-------

Marylin watched as the three Gryffindors climbed into the kitchens from around the corner.  She really did have a staff meeting to go to but she couldn’t help but watch the three for a bit longer.  She hadn’t been lying when she told them they were among her best.  She just hadn’t told him what they were best at.

She sighed quietly as she turned and began to walk slowly to the staff lounge.  Out of all the students in Hogwarts, those three were among the few wizards and witches who she could count on to help vampires, both in battle and by spreading the ideas.  There were others, of course, but those three were special.  She didn’t want anything to happen to them.

She rubbed her hands together, looking down at the ground.  She felt a bit guilty for wanting their safety because of their importance to vampires but that wasn’t the only reason she really wanted them okay.  She truly did like them.

It wasn’t their safety she had in mind when she followed them however.  Nor was she thinking of all three.

She thought back to Harry.  She had been relieved to see that he was all right now.  And that surprised her.  She had thought she had only taken a great liking to Harry because he kind of reminded her of Qye, because he might be Qye.  It had made her feel terrible because she didn’t want to like him just because of that.

But now…after learning the things she did this break…she still liked Harry.

Because her brother had just flawed her theory about Qye being Harry.


	12. Flashbacks and Thoughts

_'Must be quiet,’ the young one thought as he carefully entered his victim’s room, his padded feet making no sound on the carpeted floor.  He closed the door partway behind him, making sure that it would be easy enough to fling back and escape through.  After all, he needed an escape route as soon as his task was completed._

_Gliding quietly across the room and to the occupant’s bed, he pondered whether if what he was doing was right or wrong.  On his right shoulder, his little angel was frantically waving its arms and wings, scolding him for thinking of doing this.  On his left shoulder, his little devil wagged its tail and smirked while giving him all the reasons of just exactly **why** he was doing this.  He silently listened to each of them as he approached the bed._

_He looked down at that sleeping boy and weighed his weapon in his hand.  The angel was shouting desperately now, shouting out all the reasons of why this was a **bad** idea and what the consequences would be if he would go through with it.  The young boy hesitated, drawing back his weapon._

_The devil said, “Tutu.”_

_The boy raised his weapon and threw it down at the unsuspecting vampire._

_“AAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGG!!!!!”_

_The devil on his shoulder danced with glee._

_Qye smirked as Lest lurched up in his bed, gasping and shivering as the water balloon exploded on him.  Ice cubes and pink paint were thrown everywhere on the covers and sheets and the teenaged vampire blinked rapidly, wiping the paint out of his face and hair.  Lest yelped as a couple of ice cubes fell loose from his collar, sliding down the back of his shirt._

_“Pink looks good on you, Lest,” Qye said in a too-cheerful voice.  The vampire’s eyes narrowed and a low growl came from his throat._

_“Tell me this is washable, Qye,” Lest said through gritted teeth, his dark blue eyes flashing dangerously._

_Qye placed a finger on his lips, a mock-thoughtful look on his face.  “Oh, darn,” the younger boy said fretfully, his eyes dancing with laughter and mischief, “I think I might have accidentally put in the permanent pink ink rather than the washable kind.”  Qye looked down innocently at the still teenager and asked sweetly, “Is that okay?”_

_Lest was silent, his face blank as he stared at the younger boy.  Qye took this chance to whirl around and dash out of the room before the vampire could regain his senses._

_He was at the top of the stairs by the time the now pink-haired teenaged boy understood._

_“ **GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE BRAT! I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!** ”_

_Qye laughed._

~~~~~

“Harry!  Wake up!”

The dark-haired teenager stirred, curling up further in his bed.  “Go ‘way, Ron,” Harry mumbled as he buried his face in his pillow.  “Wanna sleep…”

“Oh no you don’t, we have Quidditch practice,” the redhead growled as he tugged at the covers hiding his best friend.  The young Weasley frowned and let go for a moment, looking at the bundle that was Harry.  “What did you do last night to make you this tired?” Ron asked, his blue eyes looking worriedly down at the smaller boy.  “Everyone’s down at the pitch already.  Merlin, even _I’m_ all ready!”

“Good for you,” came the muffled response from under the covers.  “Let me sleep.”

Ron rolled his eyes and tugged fruitlessly at the red blankets once again.  “If I have to get up this early, then so do you, mate,” he growled, struggling to pull the covers from his friend’s bed.  For such a small boy, Harry sure had a lot of strength.

He finally gave up as Harry just wrapped himself in his blankets even more.  Throwing his hands up in the air, he shouted, “Fine!  I give up!”

Harry let out a satisfied murmur.

“That doesn’t mean you’re skipping practice, Harry,” Ron said, narrowing his eyes at the bundle in the bed.  He jabbed a finger at it.  “If you don’t get up this minute, I’m calling Hermione.”

The bundle froze.

Ron smirked as he crossed his arms.  “I bet she’d like to know why you’re so tired as well,” he said lightly.  “Maybe you’re coming down with something, you’ve been acting all funny lately.  I should probably go talk with Madam Pomfrey as well.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Harry replied in a threatening voice from beneath the coverlet.

The redhead spread his hands in front of him, smiling.  “I’m just thinking in your best interests,” Ron said innocently.  A mutter came from beneath the blankets.  “What was that?”

A long suffering sigh came from beneath and the covers were flung back, revealing an irritated Harry Potter who was glowering at him from beneath messier than usual black hair.  He groped around for his glasses and put them on, bright eyes coming into focus as they continued to glare at the redhead.

“I’m up,” growled Harry as he stood up from his bed.  Ron watched as the smaller boy walked to his trunk and pulled out the Gryffindor Quidditch robes.

“So are you going to tell me?” Ron asked as he leaned against one of his bedposts, already dressed in the ruby-red robes.

“Tell you what?” Harry said absently as he picked out some socks.

“Why you’re so tired,” Ron said irritably, crossing his arms across his chest.  “You went to bed at the same time I did, Hermione made sure of that.”  He narrowed his eyes suddenly.  “Unless you got up in the middle of the night.”

“I was in bed all night,” Harry mumbled, changing into his robes.  Ron noted that the other boy was hiding his face from him.

“Then why are you so tired?” demanded Ron, looking at his best friend.  A sudden thought occurred to him and he paled slightly.  “You…you didn’t…have one of those…those dreams…did you?  I mean, about…about…”

“Voldemort?” Harry said quietly as he buttoned up his shirt.  Ron shivered.  “No, Ron, I haven’t had any of those dreams for a while now.”  The redhead saw Harry shiver a bit.

“Well, that’s good, I guess,” Ron said, slightly relieved but still looking concernedly at his friend.  Harry was silent, his back turned to the Weasley boy and Ron sighed.  “You haven’t answered my question of why you’re so tired.”

Harry shrugged as he put on his pads.  “I don’t know,” he said softly as he tied his boots.

Ron stared at his best friend, a bit of hurt rising in him.  There was something wrong with Harry.  Ever since that potions accident – hell, from before – the green-eyed boy had been acting oddly.  Harry hardly ever spoke even more and only when Hermione piled up his plate did he eat enough.  He still smiled but that familiar grin was dull and forced now, like Harry thought he had to smile all the time, like everyone wanted him to smile even when he didn’t want to.

Hermione and him had tried every method to find out what was bothering Harry, her with her badgering, Ron with giving Harry space and waiting for him to tell him what was wrong.  Neither way seemed to work though.  Harry just continued to keep to himself, spending too much time by himself in the Library.  He didn’t even seem to care about anything anymore, not even Quidditch.  He acted like his once favorite pastime was now a requirement of him.

As Harry picked up his broom, Ron looked down at the ground, playing with a loose thread on his robe.  ‘ _Why won’t you talk with Hermione or me?_ ’ he thought, frustrated.  ‘ _Merlin, Harry…I’ve been giving you your space since the beginning of the year and you **still** won’t say anything.  Why won’t you tell us what’s wrong?’_

Maybe Hermione had the right idea.  Ron really didn’t want to force Harry to tell them anything he didn’t want to but he didn’t think Harry should keep everything to himself.  It would get the smaller boy into trouble.  But Harry seemed to think like it was best, ignoring their attempts at trying to help.  Ron’s hand curled into a small fist and he inaudibly thumped it against the bedpost.  They were his best friends, damn it!  They just wanted to help.

“Well?  Aren’t you coming?”

Ron blinked and looked up to see Harry standing by the door, his Firebolt slung over his shoulder and his eyebrow raised.

“You made me get up. The least you can do is make sure I don’t sneak off to go sleep somewhere else,” Harry grinned, his green eyes seemingly dancing slightly with laughter but he saw right through that.  Ron looked with a slightly bitter gaze behind the forced cheerfulness, at the tired and dull emotions behind the façade.

The redhead snorted and picked up his Cleansweep, walking over to the other boy.  “I suppose I better,” he sighed exaggeratedly, wearily playing along with Harry’s charade.  “For all I know, you probably have your own hidden room somewhere in the castle just for the purpose of sleeping.”

“Maybe,” Harry smiled, moving so Ron could leave the room first.  Before the redhead could exit though, he grasped his arm.  Ron turned to look curiously at him, the smile gone from Harry’s face, replaced with a sincere look.

“I’m really okay, Ron,” Harry said quietly, his green eyes looking seriously at him.  “I’m just a little tired, alright?  It’s nothing to worry about.”

“Yeah, right,” Ron replied back just as quietly.  Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“I…I’ve just been tired lately,” the other boy mumbled.  “With school and stuff.  I just need a bit more sleep, that’s all.”  Ron shook his head wearily, feeling the hurt rise a bit more.  That wasn’t all.  There was more and Harry wasn’t telling.

“Really, I’m fine,” Harry said, catching the redhead’s headshake.  Ron looked him in the eye and he blinked.  Something seemed to have flashed in Harry’s eyes, something that looked to be behind the emotions, both fake and real.  Something that didn’t seem to belong to Harry.  He frowned.

“Ron?”

He continued to stare into the green eyes but the flash didn’t come again.  ‘ _Did I imagine it?_ ’ he wondered, searching them but unable to see anything besides Harry’s concern.  He sighed.

He turned and left the room.  “Sure,” he murmured.  “You’re fine, Harry.”  He turned around and forced a grin.  “Come on, let’s hurry up or we’ll having Katie channeling Wood again.”

“Don’t insult Wood,” Harry mumbled, quickening his steps.  “Even he wasn’t this bad.”

Ron snickered as he followed Harry out of the Gryffindor Tower and to the pitch.  On the inside, he was thinking.  ‘ _There’s something wrong with you, Harry_ ,’ he thought as he playfully shoved Harry.  ‘ _I don’t know what it is or what caused it or why you’re not even telling Hermione or me.’_

As Harry shoved back, his green eyes sparkling with false mirth, Ron thought, ‘ _But I intend to find out.’_

\-------

Marylin stared hard at the letter.  She closed he eyes, rubbed them with her hands, and then reopened them again.  But it continued to say the same thing.

She sighed and leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples while still staring at the letter.

‘ _Lest_ ,’ she thought wearily for Hélène knew how many times, _‘you are an idiot.  And you’re going to be the death of me one of these days._ ’  She sighed and closed her eyes.

The letter was the first from her brother since the winter break.

_~~~~~_

_“I’m home!” Marylin called out as she closed the front door behind her.  Setting down her luggage next to her, she took off her coat and set it on the coat stand next to the door as her mother glided in from the living room._

_Cerena Opacre smiled warmly as she embraced her taller daughter and Marylin hugged her back gratefully, having missed her mother from her few months away from home._

_“Welcome home, my Myn,” Cere, as she liked to be called, murmured softly as she moved back, looking at Marylin with gentle eyes._

_She smiled at her mother, her light blue eyes glowing.  The smile and glow faded as she noticed the slight tightness in her mother’s eyes and hidden worry in their normally kind look._

_“Mother?” she questioned worriedly, grasping the older woman’s hands in her own and looking at her with concern.  Her heart skipped a few beats as she frantically thought of all the things that could have happened while she had been away._

_Her mother patted her hand reassuringly.  “Everything is fine,” she said soothingly but Marylin could still see the worry in her eyes.  This wasn’t exactly the welcome back she had been hoping for._

_“What’s wrong?” she asked firmly, meeting Cere’s eyes with her own firmly.  Her mother hesitated then sighed._

_“Talk with your brother, Myn,” the older woman said quietly, not even trying to mask her worry anymore.  Marylin’s own concern grew as she saw the hidden sorrow revealed in those usually glowing eyes.  “He’s in the library.”_

_Marylin lifted her head to look down the hall, frowning slightly.  She sighed and looked down at the older vampire comfortingly._

_“Alright, Mother,” she said quietly, squeezing her hands gently and smiling reassuringly.  “Don’t worry.  Wrinkles don’t suit you.”  Cere laughed quietly at this as she dropped her daughter’s hands and moved back to the living room but Marylin could still sense the anxious feelings from her._

_The younger woman watched her go before sighing and walking to the right of the giant staircase in the middle of the entrance hall.  She walked down the small hallway until she reached a door with oak framework and she quietly opened it, slipping into the room._

_She spotted her younger brother immediately, leaning against the fireplace with a roaring fire in it.  The flickering flames were the only source of light in the room, creating shadows that jumped across the room and giving the grand library an eerie look.  Silently closing the door behind her, she crossed the room silently and joined him, leaning on the left side of the fireplace.  She watched as he watched the fire, his dark blue eyes betraying nothing._

_“Mother sent you, did she?” he finally said as she remained silent, not lifting his eyes from the burning logs.  “I suppose she wanted me to tell you.”_

_“Hello to you too, Lest,” she said calmly.  “I’m fine, thank you for asking.  My trip here was excellent, I’m not at all tired or anything.  You’ve always had the best manners in the family.”_

_The corners of Lest’s mouth twitched upward slightly and he finally lifted his eyes to look at her.  His blond hair glimmered with the firelight, as her own probably did as well._

_“Who has time for manners?” he drawled, laying one arm on top of the mantel, his eyes looking at her nonchalantly._

_“Who doesn’t?” she said, raising an eyebrow.  He snorted and dropped his eyes back down to the fireplace.  She sighed in annoyance as he went silent again._

_“Lest, I’m quite tired,” she said irritably, crossing her arms and standing up straight.  Her blue eyes flashed at her younger brother, who kept quiet.  She growled slightly.  “Listen, unlike you, I don’t have all the patience in the world at the moment.  I just came back from a school filled with teenagers after three and a half months and I only have two weeks before I have to return to that again for another six months so I would like to spend my time relaxing, and not - ”_

_“I went to pick Qye up.”_

_She froze._

_“The Dazains are almost reduced to nothing,” he said softly, still looking into the fire.  “Everything seems to be returning back to normal.  I…I thought it would be okay if I brought him back.  So I went to his house, late at night when no one would notice me gone.”  He smiled faintly.  “Like I used to do when I visited him.”_

_A fierce hopeful joy had risen in her for a moment when she had heard that he had gone for their little Qye.  A little flame that had gone out when she realized that Mother would never have been worried or depressed if Qye had returned.  And Lest wouldn’t have been alone by himself in the library if Qye had been back._

_Hundreds of worse case scenarios flashed through her mind as she frantically wondered what could have happened.  Shaking slightly, she licked her lips and looked at the still figure of her brother._

_“W…what happened?” she whispered hoarsely._

_“Went in,” he said quietly.  “His uncle wasn’t been pleased with me, thinking me some common hoodlum.”  He smiled humorlessly.  “I shut him up quick enough, along with the rest of his family.”  Marylin shivered slightly.  “Looked through their minds, made sure they hadn’t hurt him while I had been gone.  They surprised me; they only partially broke their promise instead of fully.  Pity,” he sighed, closing his eyes, “I wanted a reason to hurt them some more.”  Marylin shivered again._

_“The barrier broke,” he continued quietly, his eyes still closed and his body unmoving.  “I saw that they were going to start to scream but I didn’t want them to wake him.  I half-crushed their vocal cords,” he murmured.  “They’ll never scream again.”_

_Marylin gripped the fireplace._

_“Walked over to his room,” he said softly.  “Or rather, his cupboard.  Opened it.”  He shivered slightly.  “I panicked when I just saw brooms in there.  His things were missing.  Gone, all of it.  I didn’t even think of searching their memories to see if they gave him another room.  I just Videte the entire place, felt in every space.  He wasn’t there._

_“I lost my temper a bit,” he continued, not giving her a moment to say anything.  “Shouted at them, lost control.  I think I might have broken a few things.”  He smiled humorlessly.  “Maybe I scared them a bit.”_

_Marylin shivered again, wrapping an arm around her middle, feeling cold.  “Where is he?” she whispered._

_He was silent._

_“Lest,” she said, her eyes widening a bit in fear, “You do know where he is, don’t you?”_

_“He’s at a boarding school,” he said flatly.  Marylin blinked.  “His parents apparently paid for it when he was little.  He’s been going the last four years, only coming home during the summer break.”_

_She sagged in relief, her eyes closing.  “Do you know what boarding school?”_

_Her brother made an affirmative sound and she sighed in relief.  Then she tensed up again, opening her eyes and staring at him._

_“What’s the problem?” she said in a hard tone of voice._

_“What makes you think there’s a problem?” he replied coolly._

_“Lest…” she growled, her eyes flashing and hands tightening.  He opened his eyes, turning his head to look at her.  A crooked smile came upon his face._

_“Could never hide anything from you,” he laughed mirthlessly.  The smile turned cold and he murmured, “Why should I get him back?”_

_Marylin’s eyes widened._

_“It’s been five years, Soror,” he said coldly, his winter eyes freezing her slowly.  “Five long, damn years.  He probably has an entirely new life by now.  New friends even, if he’s at a place where no one can pick on him.  He doesn’t even know me.  Why the hell should I go get him?”_

_“You can’t be serious,” she whispered._

_“Why wouldn’t I be?”_

_“ **Because you can’t just abandon him!** ” she screamed at him. His eyes widened, the ice in them fading away.  But she was too angry to notice.   She strode over to him and grasped him by the front of the shirt._

_“Damn it, Lest,” she hissed, her nails ripping into his black shirt, her blue eyes burning into his startled ones furiously.  “You left him years ago because you and Father were so **stupid** and **rash** to not think up of a better solution.  Oh no, he’s **your** Carus, you get to protect him and **you** get to decided what to do with **his** life.  You didn’t even let him have a say in the matter, Lest!_

_“Now you just want to leave him on his own again!” she snarled, shoving him away, causing him to grasp an armchair for balance.  “You’re just going to let him continue to live his lie of a life because of what?  Because he doesn’t remember you!?  Burn me, Lest, **make** him remember!  The memories are still there!  He still has them!  But don’t be surprised if he wants your blood once you do that,” she snapped.  “I wouldn’t blame him if he wanted to kill you.  I’ll help him if he does want that.  What you did was cruel and stupid and the most - ”_

_“Shut up, Marylin.”_

_Quiet.  Soft._

_She shut up._

_“Do you think I don’t feel bad enough for what I did without you telling me more about it?” he continued in his quiet voice.  “Do you think I don’t hate myself enough?  Do you think I don’t know how upset he’ll be with me?  I don’t need you telling me what I already know.”_

_“I need to if you’re just going to leave him alone,” she said in a tight voice.  “I can’t believe_ _you’re even considering doing that to him.”_

_“He’s probably happy right now,” he said softly, lifting his calm eyes to her furious ones.  “What right do I have to disrupt that?”_

_“Stop being stupid,” she snapped, taking a step towards him.  “You know as well as I that even if he is happy right now, he won’t be forever.  In case you might have forgotten, he’s your Carus.  He can’t have a life without you.”_

_His eyes closed and he whispered in a pained voice, “I know…”_

_“Then don’t even think about not going back for him!” she snarled._

_The fire crackled.  Silence stretched in the room._

_Marylin struggled to keep her anger but it was fading away at the sight of her brother’s tired, defeated look.  He was already carrying so much at so young.  And now he had to deal with Qye.  She sighed as the last of her fury drained away._

_Wearily, she walked over to him and embraced him gently, running a hand through his tousled hair.  He wrapped his arms around her, his head dropping on her shoulder, leaning into her comforting touch._

_“You know I do miss him, don’t you?” he whispered painfully, his face buried in her neck.  “You know that, don’t you?”_

_“I know, Lest,” she said softly, running a soothing hand down his hair.  “I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to get so upset at you.  But…”_

_“I know,” he mumbled.  “I know you’re right.  I know I just can’t leave him alone, for his sake or mine.  But…” He shivered and drew away from her.  He covered his eyes with his hand and let out a long, shaky breath.  “I need more time to think,” he said softly.  “I didn’t do that last time and that’s what got me into this mess in the first place.”  He dropped his hand and Marylin’s heart clenched painfully at the sight of the familiar mask of coldness in his eyes._

_“I’ll tell you when I make a decision,” he said quietly, moving past her to leave the library.  Marylin watched until he reached the door before calling out to him.  He turned his head over his shoulder to look at her, an emotionless face._

_“Lest…” she said hesitantly, wondering whether she wanted to know or not.  She licked her lips.  She didn’t want to but she had to.  “Lest, what did you do to his relatives?”_

_“Think I killed them?” he said mockingly.  Her brother let out a harsh laugh, a humorless smile growing on his face._

_“Did you?”_

_The smile faded from his face and Marylin let out a silent cry of pain as she saw a flash of hurt and self-loathing streak through his eyes._

_“Have I become so evil that my own sister thinks me a monster?” he murmured bitterly, something she didn’t think she was meant to hear.  Before she could say anything, he continued in a normal, flat tone of voice._

_“I didn’t kill them.”  He smiled bitterly.  “I admit to wanting to but Qye made me promise years ago that I wouldn’t.  So I didn’t.”_

_Marylin felt a small bubble of relief and disappointment._

_“So, what did you do to them?” she asked, slightly nervous but morbidly curious._

_He smiled coldly.  “Enough,” he laughed softly.  “They already wish they never touched him.  It’s better than death.”  His smile hardened.  “Now that I think about it, death would have been too nice for them.  I much prefer what I did to them.”  He gave her one last mirthless, bitter smile before leaving the room._

_She watched her younger brother leave, closing the door behind him.  Then she slowly turned back to look at the fire.  She watched the flames flicker.  Thoughts moved through her mind, thoughts about how things had been and how things were._

_Then she picked up a vase and threw it into the fire before collapsing into a chair._

_Silent sobs wracked her body as she thought about her two young boys, her brother and Qye._

_~~~~~_

Marylin sighed again and opened her eyes, looking down at the letter.  Her suspicion of Harry being Qye was flawed now.  She had heard, at the end of October, of the death of his relatives.  And when Lest had told her he had gone to see them and had gotten angry with them…it seemed to almost prove that Harry was indeed her little Qye.

But Lest hadn’t killed Qye’s relatives.  She knew he didn’t lie to her, could see it in his eyes and could tell from the hurt when she had indirectly accused him.  So Qye’s relatives had to be alive.  Hélène only knew their condition while alive, but still alive.  And Harry’s relatives were dead.

Her brow furrowed slightly.  But maybe… maybe Qye’s relatives had been killed after Lest had left.  Maybe someone else had killed Qye’s relatives.  Harry could still be Qye then.

Her head started to pound from thinking about the what ifs and she sighed, rubbing her temples again.  She had to stop thinking about it, now wasn’t the time.  She glanced down at the letter.  Oh yes, now was very much _not_ the time to not think about it.

Sighing, she stood up from her chair.  Grabbing her cloak, she wrapped it around herself before leaving her office, a slightly grimace on her face as she headed toward Headmaster Dumbledore’s office.  She had some news to tell him.

The wind came in from the window next to her desk and the letter shifted slightly, revealing the words.

_Marylin –_

_Things are smooth.  Dazains are down.  Negotiations are up.  I think it is time I did more than lounge around the house and bark orders for others to do things rather then doing them myself. Our conversation in the library is still in my mind.  I’ve decided.  But I cannot let what has happened with Qye affect me too much. I still have my responsibilities to deal with.  I must deal with both of them at the same time.   I have to accept things the way they are._

_Expect me the first of March._

_Your Brother,_

_Lest_


	13. Attraction

“Potter…”

“Hmm?”

“Did you just put down simeonwert as one of the ingredients?”

The Gryffindor blinked, looking up from his Potions essay to see Malfoy staring at him with an irritated look in his pale gray eyes.  They were inside the library once more for another study session, this time for Potions.  They had chosen a table that was secluded away in one corner, right next to a window that was showing the new weather at Hogwarts, signifying the beginning of March.

“Er…” Harry said hesitantly, relaxing his hold on his quill and already reaching resignedly for his wand, “Yes?”

One of Malfoy’s eyebrows twitched.

“Haven’t you learned anything from me this year?” the Slytherin growled, putting down his own quill and scowling at the black-haired boy.  “It’s sim- _i_ -onwert, not sim- _e_ -onwert, you idiot.”

“There’s a difference?” Harry muttered as he used his wand to change the mistake.

He heard the other boy let out a long sigh.  “Yes, Potter,” Malfoy said slowly and exasperatedly, “There’s a difference.  Simionwert is a plant from the Amazon, with more moisture than simeonwert.  In the potion, it’s used to help regenerate blood so the drinker recovers from blood loss faster.  Simeonwert, on the other hand, is a plant from the Sahara and therefore has less moisture than simionwert.  If you put _that_ into the potion instead of simionwert, it would absorb any liquid in the drinker and dry them out faster than you could say sponge.”

:: **Well, that’s nice to know** :: Qye murmured in the back of Harry’s head as he jotted down the new information quickly.  :: **I’ll have to remember that if I want to make one of these potions in case a vampire decides to have me for lunch**.::

:: ** _No kidding_** :: Harry said back and he heard Qye murmur again before resuming his reading.  Harry once again thanked any merciful force in the world that Qye left him alone during his study sessions with Malfoy.  Unfortunately, the other boy chose to read his memories during these times and he had to deal with the consequences of Qye learning more and more about his life every time.

‘ _He’ll probably use it against me too, if we ever find a way to get him out,_ ’ Harry thought wearily as he looked down at his half-done essay.  Two months had passed since the end of winter break and between Quidditch and schoolwork, they had finally managed to finish researching all the ingredients in the subconscious potion.

The results?  Nothing.

They had checked every book in the library that had even one sentence on any of the ingredients and they had not found one reason to explain what happened.  Harry remembered sitting in the Gryffindor common room, staring dismally at the last book.

:: ** _What are we going to do?_** :: he had finally asked a silent Qye.

It was long time before the other boy answered.  A few minutes had passed in which Harry had felt the other boy go through a storm of emotions, ranging from rage to frustration to hopelessness and finally to resolution.  When Qye had finally answered, all Harry had felt had been fierce determination.

:: **There’s only one thing to do** :: Qye had said quietly and firmly.  :: **We find a way to get me out of here, maybe transferring me to something else.  When we do that, we’ll have proof to show everyone – including you – that you’re not crazy with a voice inside your head.  Then maybe they’ll be able to figure something up.  Until then, we continue to keep this a secret**.::

Harry hadn’t seen a better course of action and so, sighing with regret, he had closed the book on ingredients.  Unfortunately, he hadn’t had the slightest clue of where to start looking next.  Where did one find a book on transferring a voice out of one’s head?

Sighing mentally, he returned his concentration back to his Potions essay, tapping his quill against it while wondering what to write next.

“You’re not writing.”

Blinking, Harry raised his eyes from the parchment to find the pale boy looking at him with his lips quirked up into a half-smirk.

“I can’t think of anything to write,” he said defensively, looking back down at his essay.  “I only need a conclusion and that should more than fulfill the length requirements.”  He sighed slightly.  “Of course, I can’t think of any conclusion.”

“Hand it over,” Malfoy said promptly and Harry wordlessly handed his essay over.  As the Slytherin skimmed through the essay, Harry looked at the pale boy thoughtfully.

Barely half a year ago, he would have never given any of his assignments over to the other boy and now here he was, taking advice from the Slytherin, trusting his word at least on this.  Looking at the blond, Harry mused about how much their rivalry seemed to have lessened since the beginning of the year.  Was Malfoy still his rival?

He idly played with his quill as he watched the other boy read his essay.  They sure didn’t act like rivals anymore.  He couldn’t even remember the last time they had a real fight, with heated words and wands ready to come out at any moment.  Sure, they still argued, but it was less serious now.  If Harry was honest to himself, it was more like friendly bantering than anything else.

:: **I would call it flirting** :: Qye said innocently and Harry felt his face flush slightly as he dropped his quill.  Making sure that Malfoy was still reading his essay, he turned inward to the other boy.

:: ** _You have a sick mind, did you know that?_** :: he hissed at the other boy, trying to push away the blush.  :: ** _A very, very_ sick _mind._** ::

:: **Oh, come on** :: Qye snorted.  :: **Stop kidding yourself.  You two have been flirting with each other since I’ve been here.** ::

:: ** _We have not!_** :: Harry said, feeling his blush rise up again.  :: ** _Where in the world are you getting these ideas?!_** ::

:: **Well, what do you call what happened at the Valentine’s Day Ball then?** :: Qye said dryly.

Harry flushed.

~~~~

_For some odd reason, Dumbledore had decided to throw a dance on Valentine’s Day, which coincidentally had been a Saturday.  All the Fourth-Years and above had been permitted to go and for some reason that he had still not found, Harry had decided to go even though he had no date.  For a brief moment, he had been tempted to ask Cho Chang to the dance but one look at her quiet appearance and the thought had vanished completely from his mind, replaced with an overwhelming sense of guilt._

_Fortunately, Ron and Hermione had decided to go with him and they had all decided to go stag.  However…_

_“Dumbledore’s chosen a pretty good band this year, huh?” Ron said as he idly tapped his foot to the rhythm of the song.  Ron, Hermione and Harry were all standing next to the refreshment table, watching the couples dance to a fast-beat song._

_Harry made a murmur of agreement, watching his friends with a slight smile hidden behind his cup._

_“I wouldn’t mind dancing to them, if they played something a bit…slower,” Hermione smiled as she sipped her punch.  Her smile fell off quickly as the fast song slowly turned into something a bit gentler.  Some of the couples walked off the dance floor as the lights dimmed, throwing the dance floor into shadows as couples moved closer._

_The three fell silent, Hermione and Ron looking at everything other than each other and Harry smiling at them from behind his drink._

:: **Oh, burn me** :: _Qye said exasperatedly._ :: **Isn’t that idiot going to do anything?  Even I could see that was a hint and I’m not even a teenager yet.  Bloody hell**.::

:: ** _Leave Ron alone_** :: _Harry said sternly  to the other boy as he watched his best friend shuffle uncomfortably.  Qye hmphed but stayed quiet, silently watching through Harry’s eyes as he had been doing for most of the dance._

_Harry watched as the song continued to play and he frowned slightly as his friends continued to avoid each other’s eyes.  :: **Well…** :: he finally said, :: **Maybe they need a little push.** ::  He felt the smugness roll of the other boy and resisted the urge to roll his eyes._

_“Nice song, isn’t it, Hermione?” Harry commented, watching as the bushy-haired girl snapped her eyes to him, startled.  He smiled simply at her.  “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t mind dancing if they played something a bit like this?”  The brunette blushed and he grinned at her before turning over to Ron._

_“Why don’t you dance with her, Ron?” he said casually, taking another sip from his punch._

_Ron’s ears turned red._

_“M…me?” the redhead choked out, his voice slightly high-pitched.  Harry suppressed a grin as he lowered his cup, smiling innocently at his gaping friend._

_“Yeah, you,” he said, smiling at his blushing best friends.  “You both saw how terrible I was at dancing last year.  You should dance with Hermione for this slow one.  I mean, they’ve been playing fast ones all night, this might be the last slow one they play.  Go on,” he said, grinning as he put down his cup and shoved his shocked friends towards the dance floor.  "I can take care of myself for a song or two.”_

_Ron and Hermione stumbled onto the dance floor, propelled by Harry’s shove and they blushed as they noticed some curious glances thrown their way.  The two turned to each other, blushing even more and Hermione made as if to return to the refreshment table.  Harry grinned as he saw Ron catch her by the arm, turning even redder if it were possible._

_He watched as Hermione looked at Ron, startled but hopeful.  He watched as Ron stuttered out something, lowering his eyes to the floor.  He watched as Hermione smiled, her brown eyes softening as she moved closer to the redhead.  He watched as Ron looked up, his blue eyes widening in shock as the brunette took one of his hands in hers, placing the other on his shoulder.  He watched as Hermione murmured something, making the Weasley boy relax.  He watched as Ron smiled in a shy manner, obviously making extra effort to not step on the brunette’s feet.  He watched as his best friends in love began to dance._

_Smiling, Harry turned away from the dance table, picking up his cup and taking another drink._

:: ** _I guess I won’t be needing that closet anymore, huh?_** _:: he said to Qye, as he popped a chocolate into his mouth, turning back to the dance floor but making sure to not watch Ron and Hermione._

:: **Guess not** :: _Qye grinned._ :: **Good job**.::

:: ** _Thanks_** ::  _He let his eyes wander among the couples as he rolled the chocolate in his mouth.  His eyes fell upon Dean and Seamus, dancing a little ways off from Neville and Ginny._

_To the shock of almost everyone in Gryffindor, particularly their own dorm mates, the two had decided to come out by coming to the dance together.  After a few minutes of shocked “You’re gay?” (Neville and Harry) and “Tell me I didn’t do it!” (Lavender) and “Don’t tell me anything…ever” (Ron), everything had gone back to normal with the exception of Seamus now acting more flirty than usual._

_Harry watched the two dance, the couple apparently lost in their own world.  His eyes flickered over to Neville and Ginny, both of them shyly smiling at each other, and then to Ron and Hermione, both looking each other in the eyes.  He sighed quietly, turning away from the couples, picking up another chocolate._

_‘Why did I come?’ he sighed as he popped it into his mouth._

_“Nicely done, Potter,” a voice murmured next to his ear.  “I was getting tired of their little mating ritual.”_

_Choking, he turned around to find a smirking Malfoy standing right behind him, a mischievous smirk on his face.  Harry’s eyes flickered over his outfit, admiring the charcoal pants and light blue buttoned-up dress shirt beneath black robes.  Moving his eyes back up to the Slytherin, he frowned lightly at his study partner._

_“What are you talking about?” he muttered, taking a sip of his drink to wash away the piece of chocolate stuck in his throat.  His eyes warily watched the other boy as the blond leaned his back against the refreshment table, smirk still in place._

_“The Weasel and Granger, of course,” Malfoy drawled, looking at Harry from the corner of his eye.  “I was about to come over here and smack the both of them for being so thick but I think your way worked much better.”  He shook his head slightly, some of his gelled hair falling into his face lightly.  “Their little dance has been a hell of an annoyance.  Never thought Weasel could be such an idiot._

:: **Here, here** :: _Qye chimed in, browsing through Harry’s memories but obviously listening._   :: **See, why didn’t you make friends with him?** ::

_“Watch it, Malfoy,” he warned, putting down his cup and turning to glare at the blond.  “Make another comment about Ron and we’ll see how many girls will dance with you once I’m through.”_

_:: **You shut up too** :: he added to Qye, mentally frowning at the other boy.  :: **Quit picking on Ron.   I’d like to see you be so confident when dealing with a person you like.  Brat.** ::  Qye snorted and resumed his reading._

_“Temper, temper,” Malfoy smirked at him, turning to look at him fully.  Harry just scowled lightly, turning back to watch the dance floor as he ate another chocolate.  He could feel the blond’s gaze on him but firmly kept his own away.  He really didn’t feel in the mood to spoil the dance for everyone by getting into a fight._

_“You know, it really wouldn’t matter to me if the girls here didn’t want to dance with me,” Malfoy said suddenly, turning his own eyes to the dance floor.  “None of them are my type.”_

_“What, not pure enough?” Harry mumbled, playing idly with the wrapper of the chocolate as he watched Ron and Hermione continue to dance to another song._

_Malfoy looked at him again, a pale eyebrow raised.  “I take it you're not enjoying yourself?” the Slytherin asked mildly.  “Why did you even come?”_

_“I don’t know,” Harry sighed, throwing down the wrapper and picking up his drink again.  “Bored, I guess.”  He looked at the other boy over the rim of his cup.  “What about you?  I see Pansy isn’t hanging off your arm like usual.”_

_The pale boy grimaced.  “I threatened her beauty products if she even glanced in my direction tonight,” he growled, his eyebrow twitching slightly as he crossed his arms.  “Give me some credit, Potter,” Malfoy snorted, glancing at Harry again.  “I have better taste than that.”_

_“I’m sure you do,” he murmured, his lips twitching and bright green eyes sparkling with laughter.  The silver-haired boy frowned at him._

_“Well, gee, thanks, Potter,” Malfoy said sarcastically.  Harry couldn’t suppress a small laugh as the Slytherin rolled his eyes.  “Idiot,” the pale boy muttered._

_“Git,” Harry replied cheerfully, crossing his arms, his lips twitching._

_“Moron,” Malfoy frowned but a small playful light began to grow in his gray eyes._

_“Jerk,” Harry grinned now, his bright eyes shimmering with mirth._

_“Arse,” Malfoy said, his own lips curving up into a smile._

_“Sneaky Slytherin,” Harry retorted with a small laugh._

_“Goody-two-shoes Gryffindor,” Malfoy smirked, more of his pale hair falling into his face._

_“That was an insult?” he quipped, taking another sip of his drink as he grinned at the other boy.  “I do believe you're losing your touch, Malfoy.”_

_“Pff, I’m just not in the mood,” Malfoy snorted, straightening up from the table and picking up his own cup.  “I could outwit you any day.”_

_“I’ll leave you to your delusions for tonight,” Harry smiled as he picked up another chocolate, watching the pale boy roll his eyes._

_“So nice of you,” Malfoy drawled, idly picking up a chocolate.  “By the way, Potter,” he said abruptly, as he unwrapped the sweet, his gray eyes focusing on Harry’s curious green ones, “I’ve been meaning to ask you something.  What’s up with you and our Threstral?”_

_“Hmm?” Harry blinked at the other boy as he popped the chocolate into his mouth.  He saw the other boy’s eyes flicker for a moment towards his mouth and he furrowed his brow, confused.  “What are you talking about?”_

_“I’ve seen you walking to the paddock,” Malfoy said, still toying with the chocolate in his hand, his gray eyes looking calmly into his own.  “I’ve caught you hanging around her more than once.”  The blonde shrugged, raising the sweet to his lips.  “Just curious.”_

_“Well…” Harry began.  He paused as he watched the chocolate disappear, swallowing slightly and feeling the temperature in the room rise a bit.  Coughing a bit, he moved his eyes to the dance floor.  “Well…” he started again, forcing away any signs of blushing, “Hagrid says she’s been looking miserable ever since our assignment with her ended, that she hasn’t been eating or anything.  He was really worried and he said that since she really seemed to like me I should visit her, keep her company since she doesn’t really get any.”  He shrugged lightly, leaning back on the table, watching the couples dance.  “Hagrid says she’s doing better now, eating right and everything.  So I go see her whenever I have the chance.”_

_“Always thought she was a bit closer to you than any of us during our project,” Malfoy murmured.  “Bet it’s going to break her little heart when you leave for break.”_

_Harry said nothing, feeling his moment of contentment vanish quickly.  He felt the pale boy turn his eyes towards him, felt his curious eyes but he kept his own down.  The blond had just picked another topic that he had been trying to avoid since October.  With the Dursleys gone, he had no legal guardians to take care of him.  His godfather was on the run from the government and while he would have enjoyed staying with the Weasleys or Remus Lupin, he doubted the Ministry would let them adopt him with their statuses.  He mentally sighed, thinking back to the letter he had received in November from the Ministry.  Until a suitable guardian could be found, he was under the care of the Ministry and would be sent to an orphanage during the breaks._

_“Potter?”_

_He looked up, meeting the questioning eyes of Malfoy.  Forcing a smile, he said in his best cheerful voice, “I guess Hagrid will have to take care of her until I come back.  I’m sure she’ll be okay for a couple of months without me.”_

_Malfoy watched him for a long moment, his stormy gray eyes looking into his own seriously.  Harry looked nervously back, unconsciously leaning back against the table.  He blinked as the other boy raised his hand slowly, moving it towards his face.  He leaned back further but Malfoy just took another step towards him, his hand catching his chin in its grasp._

_His eyes widened as Malfoy gently rubbed his thumb across his lips._

_“You need to learn to eat chocolate better, Potter,” the pale boy said quietly, his lips quirking up into a half-smirk.  “You’re such a messy pig.”_

_Harry continued to stare wide-eyed at the Slytherin, his lips slightly parted in shock, his breath ghosting along the other boy’s hand.  Malfoy smiled a bit more, slowly dropping his hand, his slender fingers running down the shocked boy’s cheek gently before falling to his side._

_“Granger and the Weasel are coming back,” Malfoy said, taking a step back.  “Guess my visit is done.”  He turned around, walking back towards the other Slytherins.  “I’ll see you around, Potter.”_

_He continued to stand there after the Slytherin had gone, his green eyes wide in shock, his lips tingling slightly from the touch.  His mind was blank, overwhelmed, but he dimly felt Qye smirking slightly although the other boy said nothing._

_“Harry?”_

_Dazed, he turned around to see a flushed from dancing Ron and Hermione.  Blinking, he closed his mouth.  Hermione frowned slightly._

_“Harry, are you alright?” she asked concernedly.  Harry nodded mutely, dropping his eyes.  They widened slightly as they saw his friends’ entwined fingers and he smiled lightly.  Raising his eyes again, he grinned at them._

_“Did you two have a nice dance?” he asked innocently, his eyes twinkling.  Hermione and Ron’s faces turned red simultaneously and his grin widened more._

_“Come on, mate, the dance is over,” Ron said gruffly, shoving Harry in front of them and towards the exit.  “Let’s get back to the Tower.”_

_Harry chuckled softly as his friends put him in between them, still red from dancing and embarrassment.  He saw them sneak looks at each other as they left the Great Hall and he smiled, content that they were finally beginning to get somewhere.  His smile faded as he remembered Malfoy._

‘ _What was that all about?’ he thought, feeling his face warm up and resisting the urge to touch his lips._   ‘ _Couldn’t he have just told me I had chocolate on my mouth?  Why did he have to use his fingers?  And why did it feel…good?_ ’

:: **Because he likes you and you like him** :: _Qye suddenly said and he blinked in surprise.  Then he flushed as he realized what the other boy had said._

:: ** _Stay out of this, Qye_** :: _Harry warned the other boy.  He felt Qye shrug, flipping through his memories._

:: **Just thought I’d help you out since you’re obviously very dense** :: _Qye said carelessly._   :: **I don’t see what the problem is anyway**.::  _Harry growled at the voice._

:: ** _Just…stop, okay?_** :: _he said, frustrated.  Qye shrugged again, reading one of his memories._

_Sighing, he dropped his eyes to the ground.  Hearing laughter, he glanced up at Dean and Seamus, both grinning widely.  He dropped his eyes to the floor again, absently wrapping his arms around himself.  ‘I’m not gay…am I?’ he thought to himself, staring down at the gray stones._

_He licked his lips, tasting the fading remnants of chocolate and Malfoy’s touch._

_~~~~~_

:: **You’re thinking about it again, aren’t you?** :: Qye smirked.

Harry jerked, drawn back from his memory.  Flushing slightly, he kept his eyes firmly on the tabletop, forcing his blush away.

:: **Well, what do you call that?** :: Qye drawled.

:: ** _We were bored_** :: Harry muttered back to the voice.  :: ** _I call it passing time.  Only people with twisted minds like yourself call it flirting_**.:: He felt Qye roll his eyes.

Mentally sighing, he closed his eyes.

They flew open again as he felt _something_ touch his knee.

Yelping, he jerked back in his chair, looking wildly around.  His eyes flew over to the boy across him as the blond let out a soft chuckle.

“Twitchy, aren’t you, Potter?” Malfoy said lazily, smirking as he rested his chin on one of his hands, his elbow on the table.  Harry glared at him, trying to control his rapid breathing.

“Are you trying to give me a heart attack?” he growled, scooting his chair back towards the table.

Malfoy raised an eyebrow.  “Now why would I do something like that?” he drawled, dropping his hand and leaning back in his chair, his knee propped up against the table.  “I would have no one left to torment.”

“How unfortunate for you,” Harry muttered, picking up his quill from where he dropped it.  Turning his eyes back to the amused ones of the Slytherin, he frowned.  “Why did you do that anyway?”

“You were spacing out,” Malfoy smirked.  “What were you doing, talking to the voices in your head?”  His smirk widened.  “Or were you daydreaming about me again?”

Inside his head, Qye was laughing hysterically.

“Neither,” he said shortly, mentally hissing at the snickering voice.  His eyebrow twitched slightly, he asked wearily, “Can I have my essay back?”

Chuckling quietly, Malfoy dropped his knee and moved closer.  “Yeah, it’s the last thing and then we can leave.”  He pushed forward another scrap of parchment.  “I’ve outlined what should be in your conclusion.  All you have to do is find the words for everything I’ve written.”

Harry sighed, relieved at not having to think so much.  “Thanks,” he said gratefully, reaching for the parchments.  He blinked as Malfoy laid a pale hand on top of his own, raising his eyes in confusion to the other’s while heat crept up on his face.

“Are you alright, Potter?” Malfoy asked slowly, his gray eyes studying him.  “You haven’t been yourself lately…”

“I’m fine,” he muttered, his eyes falling down to where Malfoy’s hand rested on top of his own.  He swallowed, feeling his blush deepen.  Malfoy continued to look at him, a few locks of his blond hair falling into his face.

“Potter…Harry,” he began softly and Harry’s eyes widened in shock at the use of his first name.  Malfoy tightened his hold on Harry’s hand slightly and a flash of unsureness swept through his gray eyes.  He opened his mouth again.

“Oh my, am I interrupting something?” a familiar voice said amusedly to the left of them.

Jerking, both of them moved away from each other, Malfoy releasing his hold on Harry.  The green-eyed boy blushed furiously, placing his hand in his lap, his eyes fixed firmly on the tabletop while his heart hammered in his chest.

“Oh no, it’s you,” he heard Malfoy say irritably.  “What do you want?”

Raising his eyes slowly from the table, he looked up to see none other than Professor Opacre smirking down at them.  His face flamed up.  ‘ _Oh Merlin_ ,’ he thought, horrified, ‘ _Of all the teachers it had to be, it had to be her_.’

“Mind you manners, Draco,” she said, grinning while her light blue eyes danced.  “I can have you for PDA – public displays of adorableness.”

Malfoy growled in the back of his throat, his silver eyes flashing up at the vampire in annoyance.  As he opened his mouth, obviously to say something rude, Harry discretely kicked him in the shins under the table.  The Slytherin’s mouth closed with a snap and he turned indignant eyes onto the green-eyed boy, which Harry returned with a warning look.  The pale boy growled again but thankfully kept his mouth shut.  Harry sighed in relief, turning his eyes back to the amused Professor.

“Hello, Professor,” he said, smiling up at her.

“Hey, Harry,” she laughed, her eyes twinkling.  “Having problems training your boy?  I can give you a few pointers if you’d like.”  She laughed again when Malfoy snarled.

Harry’s face flamed up – Merlin, he really needed to find a spell or potion to prevent him from blushing – and he choked.  “He…I…we…I mean…” he stammered, his face heating up even more as they both turned their eyes on him.  Coughing, he lowered his eyes and muttered, “He’s not my boy, Professor.”

“Oh, I’m hurt, Potter,” Malfoy drawled out and he looked up, startled.  He blinked in confusion and the blond smirked.  “Does that mean you don’t love me anymore?”

He stared at him, horrified and blushing even more.  Groaning, he covered his face with one of his hands.  ‘ _Why is everyone picking on me today?_ ’ he thought to himself, hiding his red face from the vampire and Slytherin.

:: **Because you have cute reactions to the teasing** :: Qye smirked.

:: ** _Brat_** :: he thought to the other boy.  Aloud, he said in a firm, muffled voice, “We’re just studying.”

“Is that what you call it here?” the vampire woman said innocently, and Harry blushed even more.  Taking in a deep breath, he dropped his hand from his red-tinged face.  He glowered at a grinning Malfoy for a moment before shaking his head and turning back to the vampire.

“What are you doing here, Professor?” he asked curiously, ignoring the snickering of Qye.

She smiled, holding up a couple of books in her hands.  “Just checking out some books I think my brother would like to read while he’s here,” she said cheerfully.  Harry’s eyes widened and he felt some of his shock shared by Qye.

“Your brother?” he asked, blinking up at her.  “What - ” He was interrupted by a slam on the table.  Jumping slightly, he turned around to stare at a suddenly furious Malfoy, his gray eyes narrowed.

“ _He’s_ coming here?” Malfoy hissed, his hand clenched into a fist, anger radiating from his trembling form.

Professor Opacre looked coolly at him, her smile fading away.  “Yes,” she said calmly, meeting the blond’s incensed look serenely.  “He’s arriving tonight and he’ll be staying here for a while.”

“Why the hell is _he_ coming here?” Malfoy snarled, his gray eyes a storm.

“Because he wants to see how I’ve been doing my work and he would like to learn more about wizards,” the vampire said evenly.  Her eyes narrowed slightly.  “While we’re on the matter of my brother, I feel compelled to tell you how you two should behave while he’s here.  I’ll be having a few words with him as well, as soon as he arrives,” she added, seeing Malfoy open his mouth angrily.  The blond closed it, his mouth tightening.

“I know you two have…issues, Draco,” she said quietly, her light eyes looking at him seriously.  “Honestly, I think both of you are acting like little kids about it.  But I can’t seem to do anything about it so I’m asking you two to _please_ keep your little…feud…to yourselves and not spread it around.  I’m trying to find an alliance between vampires and wizards and that isn’t going to happen if you two fight every time you meet each other’s eyes.  So,” she took a deep breath, “I’m _begging_ you to please either ignore him or manage to find the slightest bit of civility with each other until both of you are in a private place to yell at each other all you want.  Will you do that for me?”  Her eyes looked pleadingly at him.

Harry watched silently as Professor Opacre said all this.  He turned his eyes to the Slytherin and he saw the other boy open his mouth, obviously not going to give his consent judging by the fury churning in his stormy eyes.  Without thinking about it, he reached over and grasped Malfoy’s hand that was resting on top of the table.

The blond’s eyes widened and he turned his eyes over to him, the gray eyes sharply looking at him.  Harry said nothing, just meeting the stormy eyes of the Slytherin calmly, his hand tightening over the other’s.  Malfoy was silent, his eyes searching Harry’s.  Finally, after a long moment of just looking at each other, the blond sighed reluctantly.

“I will if he does,” Malfoy said grudgingly, glancing over at the vampire woman.  Harry grinned slightly, squeezing the other’s hand gratefully before letting go and pulling back.

Professor Opacre smiled at them both.  “Thank you,” she said quietly, inclining her head to them.  “I appreciate it.”  Malfoy just snorted but Harry grinned at her.  She smiled a bit more before turning around.

“I better go,” the vampire said cheerfully.  “Have to start preparing for my brother’s arrival.”  She winked at them.  “Have fun ‘studying’ you two.”  Harry blushed slightly as the vampire left from sight.

Coughing, he turned back and blinked when he saw Malfoy gazing at him with a thoughtful look in his silver eyes, the anger gone without a trace.  He looked curiously at the other boy and the Slytherin dropped his eyes.

“Do me a favor, Potter?”

Harry furrowed his brows, leaning close at the other boy’s quiet tone of voice.  “What?” he asked.

Malfoy raised his eyes again and steadily looked at him.  “When Opacre’s brother comes,” he said softly, “Stay away from him.”

He blinked, confused.  “Why?” he asked bewilderedly.  He blinked again when Malfoy reached over and grasped one of his hands.  He glanced down at their hands before looking back up again, worried by the seriousness in the other’s gray eyes.

“Stay away from him, Harry,” Malfoy said softly, tightening his hold slightly, his gray eyes looking into his own wide-eyed green ones.  “I told you I can’t always be there when trouble comes along and Opacre’s brother is trouble, more than you can possibly know.  Trust me on this, I know more about him than you do.  I want you to stay away from him because…because I don’t want him to hurt you.”

\-------

Later that night, Harry watched the stars from his bed, exhaustion making his eyes heavy.  He would have liked nothing more than to go to sleep that instant but he was still awake, listening to Ron and Neville’s snores.

:: **Why aren’t you asleep?** :: Qye asked quietly, suddenly looking through Harry’s eyes and out at the stars as well.  :: **You’re tired…** ::

Yawning, he buried his head deeper into his pillow, blearily still looking at the stars.  :: ** _I’m aware of that_** :: he mumbled, blinking tiredly.  :: ** _I can’t seem to fall asleep though._** ::

:: **You’ll be asleep in a few minutes** :: Qye said softly, looking through his eyes.  Harry made a noncommittal noise, sighing inaudibly.

:: **Harry** :: Qye said abruptly and Harry blinked drowsily, coming back from the edge of sleep.

:: ** _Hmm?_** ::

:: **You know I like Draco and all, right?  That I think he’s better than Weasel, yes?** ::

Harry growled softly.  :: ** _Qye…_** :: he said in a warning tone of voice.  :: ** _Stop insulting Ron.  I don’t want to fall asleep angry tonight.  Merlin, why don’t you like Ron?_** ::

:: **Because I think he’s a moron** :: Qye muttered.  :: **But that’s another subject altogether.  You know that that I have a respectful opinion of Draco though, right?** ::

:: ** _Why are you calling him Draco?_** :: Harry murmured sleepily, his eyes sliding close slowly.

:: **Why aren’t you?** :: Qye replied irritably.  :: **You know, don’t you?** ::

:: ** _Yeah, I know_** :: Harry yawned, burying his face into his pillow, his eyes closed.  :: ** _I can’t call him Draco…he’s Malfoy…be nice to call him Draco though…_** ::

:: **Burn me** :: Qye muttered.  :: **You’re closer to sleep than I thought you were if you just said that**.::  The other boy sighed.  :: **All right, I'll quit the slow approach and just say it flat out.  Don’t listen to Draco**.::

Harry furrowed his brow slightly, eyes still closed.  :: ** _What are you talking about?_** :: he asked, puzzled.  :: ** _Don’t listen to Draco about what?_** ::

:: ** _About Professor Opacre’s brother…don’t listen to him.  Lest isn’t…wasn’t…can’t be trouble_**.::

He was about to ask who Lest was when he connected it.  Lest was Professor Opacre’s brother.  Qye knew Lest wasn’t trouble.  Therefore, Qye had to know Lest personally. The thought of sleep fled from his mind and he slowly opened his eyes.

:: ** _You know him_**.::  Statement, not question.

Qye sighed.  :: **Yeah** :: the other boy said wearily.  :: **I knew him.  Remember my best friend?  That would be Lest.  And yes** :: Qye added, feeling Harry about to ask, :: **I know Professor Opacre as well.  Remember Myn?  That would be her.  Of course…she’s a lot different from how I used to know her…** :: Qye trailed off.

Silent for a moment, Harry thought about what Qye just said.  He remembered feeling shock from the other boy when he had met Professor Opacre.  Why hadn’t he registered it?

Sighing quietly, he said, :: ** _Why didn’t you tell me?_** ::  A bit of hurt rose in him and he tried to bring it down.

:: **Would you have believed me?** :: Qye said quietly.  :: **You still don’t completely believe I’m a real person.  If I had told you sooner, you would have thought it was just you making it up.  Least now you know I know things that you don’t, which are true**.::  Harry was silent still and Qye sighed slightly.  :: **I’m…sorry…** :: the other boy finally said reluctantly.

:: ** _It’s okay_** :: Harry sighed, closing his eyes again.  :: ** _Guess you’re right_**.::  He paused.  :: ** _Wait…if you know them…why can’t I just tell Professor Opacre about you?  Maybe she can help._** ::

:: **Do you think I hadn’t thought of that?** :: Qye asked.  The boy sighed.  :: **Listen, Myn’s changed a lot.  She still has that bubbly exterior but…well…I don’t know, something’s happened to her.  I don’t know what she’ll do anymore**.::  Qye sighed again.  :: **And do you honestly think she’ll believe you when you tell her I’m in your head?** ::

:: ** _Well…you can give me proof_** :: Harry said hesitantly.  :: ** _Like…like only things you know_**.::

Qye sighed again.  :: **Yeah…but I’m still not sure if she’ll believe you.  Like I said, she’s changed a lot from how I used to know her.  I’d rather wait on saying anything to her until I’m absolutely sure about what she’ll say**.::

Harry sighed, exhaustion creeping up on him again.  :: ** _All right_ …**:: he said grudgingly.  :: ** _I’ll wait.  But if we can’t find anything that’ll help us by the end of April, I’m going to her_**.::

:: **Deal** :: Qye said quietly.  :: **Now go to sleep**.::

He yawned, closing his eyes and beginning to drift off to sleep.  :: ** _I’m older then you…_** :: Harry mumbled.  :: ** _Don’t treat me like I’m younger…_** ::

The other boy laughed softly.  :: **Actually, I think you’re younger but fine**.::  As sleep gently began to claim him, Harry heard Qye whisper, :: **Night Harry**.::

:: ** _Night Qye…_** :: he murmured back.  Just before he fell asleep, he thought he felt a gentle brush along his mind but the thought disappeared as consciousness did as well.

\-------

As she watched the train roll into the Hogsmeade Station, Marylin shivered and wrapped her cloak closer around herself.  She watched a few passengers get off, looking for a familiar scent.  She caught it near the end of the train and sighing, she walked towards it.  As soon as she reached the end, a tall figure stepped off, a duffel bag slung over their shoulder.  She stopped, the scent making itself clear.

The figure turned towards her and she smiled slightly.

“Hello, Frater,” Marylin said quietly, her blue eyes watching her brother look at her beneath his hood.  “It’s good to see you again.”

“That’s a first,” a dry voice said beneath the dark hood.  She grinned, moving closer and hugging her taller brother lightly.

“Did you have a nice trip?” she questioned, moving back after he hugged her back.  She looped her arm through his, leading him to the carriage waiting outside the station.

“As well as it could be with me being the only vampire,” her brother drawled sarcastically.  She grinned again.

“Well, you’ll like it here,” she said cheerfully.  “You’ll at least have one other of the family to talk to at least.”

“Hmm,” he said, looking up at the castle in the distance.  The moonlight shone down on them and Marylin wondered whether the gleam in his eye was because of the moonlight or something else.

“I can’t wait,” Lest said softly as he stared up at the castle, an odd smile on his face.

Marylin stared at her brother, chills running down her back from the smile and gleam.  ‘ _Why_ ,’ she thought, feeling uneasiness well up in her, ‘ _do I have an incredibly bad feeling?_ ’


	14. Dreams and Arrivals

:: **Harry…wake up, Harry…** ::

The teenager stayed asleep, his face buried in his pillow with his arm thrown over it.

:: **Harry, it’s time to get up** :: the soft voice persisted but the black-haired boy merely made a sound of protest, burrowing deeper into the warm bed.

:: **Alright** :: the voice said, its voice no longer soft but irritated.  :: **You can’t say I didn’t try the nice approach.  Get up, prat!** ::

Harry mumbled and curled up into a small ball, absently pushing the voice away while trying to cling to the rapidly fading sleep.

:: **This is your last chance to get up** :: growled the voice.  The black-haired teenager just snuggled closer into his covers.  The voice sighed.  :: **Fine, don’t say I didn’t warn you**.::

The Gryffindor roused slightly at these words but when the voice didn’t say anything further, Harry’s mind contently began to doze off again.  Silence reigned as Harry happily began to drift back to sleep, relieved he didn’t have to leave his comfortable surroundings.  Silence and peace reigned.

:: **SNAPE IN DRAG, DRACO KISSING WEASLEY, WAKE _UP_ POTTER!** ::

Shouting, Harry Potter fell out of his warm bed and landed with a thud on the floor.

The curtains of the other fifth-year Gryffindor's beds flew open – minus a snoring Ron’s – and Dean, Seamus, and Neville stared at the groaning Boy-Who-Lived, who was wincing as he rubbed his head.

“Are you alright, Harry?” Neville asked worriedly, the concern in his eyes matching Dean and Seamus’ as well.

“Fine,” Harry mumbled, looking up at the other boys while wincing as he felt his head.  There was going to be a bruise on it later, he was sure.

“What happened?” Dean asked, raising an eyebrow as he stared at his dorm mate.

“Fell out of bed,” he said weakly as he gingerly stood up in his over sized blue-striped hand-me-down pajamas. Harry forced a sheepish smile at them as he dropped his hand.

“You fell out of bed,” Dean repeated slowly, still staring at the green-eyed boy, disbelief clear in his eyes.

“Um…yeah,” the smaller boy mumbled, casting his green eyes down.  “I guess a dream must have woken me up.”  Inside his head, he was mentally snarling at a smirking Qye.

:: ** _What did you do that for?_** :: he growled at the amused boy.

:: **You said you wanted to go to the library before breakfast, remember?** :: Qye said in a too-sweet voice.  :: **You asked me to wake you up early.  I was merely doing what you asked me to do.  And may I remind you, I did try nicer methods to wake you up.  It’s not my fault you’re lazy.** ::

:: ** _Brat_** :: Harry growled but before he could continue berating the other boy, a loud laugh interrupted him.  Blinking, he looked up to see a widely grinning Seamus.  He furrowed his brows in bewilderment at the Irish boy.

“That good a dream, was it, Harry?” Seamus said knowingly, his blue eyes dancing gleefully.  Harry stared in confusion at the other boy and Seamus laughed again, getting out of bed.

“Must have been a real _good_ one to wake you up like _that_ ,” Seamus chortled as he got his things for the shower.  The sandy-haired boy winked coyly at a still-puzzled Harry.  “Next time, keep it down or ask me for help, love.”  Snickering, Seamus left the room for the showers.

Harry stared after the other boy.  ‘ _Huh?’_

:: **What the hell is he on?** :: Qye asked oddly, looking out of Harry’s eyes to stare at the Irish boy as well.  Harry mentally shrugged.

:: ** _I have no idea_** :: he replied as he turned to look at Neville and Dean.  He blinked as he saw the both of them blushing furiously.  He raised an eyebrow and Neville blushed even more, hastily grabbing his own things for the shower and fleeing the room.  Blinking, he turned to Dean, utterly confused.

“It wasn’t _that_ kind of dream…was it, Harry?” Dean asked tentatively, his blush fading away slightly.

“What kind of dream?” Harry said, puzzled and beginning to feel a bit annoyed.  His confusion grew as Dean let out a sigh of relief.

“I thought so,” Dean said, grabbing his own things.  He looked sympathetically at Harry.  “Just ignore Seamus, alright?  I’ll make sure he leaves you alone.”  The dark-skinned boy left the room with Harry staring at him.

:: **Your friends are weird** :: Qye finally said after Harry spent a moment blinking at the door.  Harry blinked one last time before sighing.

:: ** _Tell me about it_** :: he muttered to the other boy as he walked over to wake up the still snoring Ron.

\-------

Breakfast passed in relative normalcy if you could call Seamus winking at Harry every five minutes normal.  The poor Gryffindor boy had to refrain from beating his head against the table out of frustration because neither Seamus nor Dean were explaining what they were talking about.  Of course, the desire to knock himself unconscious also could have been because Qye had flipped through his memories and found a particular tune that annoyed Harry to no end.

As Harry calmly buttered his piece of toast – courtesy of the ever-watchful Hermione – he shouted and pleaded with the highly amused boy to stop torturing him.

:: ** _What is up with you?_** :: Harry finally asked the other boy – who was still cheerfully humming the grating melody – as he left the table and Great Hall to walk down to the dungeons with the other Fifth Years..  :: ** _You aren’t acting like your usual sarcastic, grumpy self today.  It’s a bit disturbing_**.::

:: **Is it?** :: Qye smirked.  :: **I should act like this more often if it bugs you _that_ much**.:: Qye laughed at Harry’s responding growl.  :: **I don’t know why I’m so upbeat today.  Just woke up and…I dunno, just felt _good_.  You know?** ::

:: ** _I used to_** :: Harry muttered back as he looked through his school bag.  :: ** _Of course, that was before you got stuck inside my head_**.::

:: **Ouch** :: Qye laughed.  Harry shook his head, still baffled by the younger boy’s bright mood.

“Still thinking about that dream?”

Harry blinked and looked up from his bag to see Seamus grinning at him, his blue eyes dancing merrily.

“What dream?” Ron asked, raising an eyebrow at the gleeful sandy-haired boy.  Seamus snickered and the redhead turned a bemused look to a flushed Harry.  “What dream, Harry?” Ron repeated, his eyebrow rising higher.

“No dream,” Harry muttered, glowering slightly at the bouncy Irish boy.  “Seamus is just acting funny today.  I have no idea what he’s talking about.”

“No idea what I’m talking about, huh, Harry?” Seamus snickered, his eyes dancing.  “Riiight, I believe you.  The fuss you made this morning _wasn’t_ about any dream.”  The sandy-haired boy winked at Ron.  “No dream, he says.”

The green-eyed boy looked at Seamus in confusion before turning to his best friend in puzzlement.  He blinked when he saw the knowing grin on the redhead’s face and he felt his bewilderment grow even more.

“So that’s what all the commotion was about this morning,” Ron grinned at Harry, his blue eyes laughing.  “I was wondering…”

:: **He was snoring, how could he have heard anything?** :: Qye muttered, flipping through Harry’s memories.  Harry hushed the other boy but silently agreed with him.

Ron let out a dramatic sigh and draped a friendly arm across the shorter boy’s shoulders, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye.  “Our little Harry is growing up, 'Mione,” Ron said in a mock-proud voice.  The black-haired boy glared at his taller friend, shaking off the lanky arm.

Turning to Hermione, he asked in an exasperated tone of voice, “Do you have any idea what these lunatics are talking about?”

He started in surprise when he noticed the deep blush on his other best friend’s face, one that seemed to grow even more when he looked curiously at her.  Frowning slightly, he asked in a puzzled voice, “Hermione?”

The bushy-haired girl shook her head, quickly taking out a thick book and hiding her face behind it.  Harry blinked at the hidden girl as they rounded the corner to the Potions classroom.  He turned his face away from her and back to the other boys as he heard Seamus and Ron erupt into laughter.

“You-you don’t know about _those_ dreams?” Ron managed to choke out through his hilarity, holding onto Harry’s shoulder for support.  The laughter doubled as Harry just stared confusedly at him.

“Of course, he knows about those dreams!” Seamus said, laughing uncontrollably as he clutched Dean’s shoulder to keep his balance.  “He-he’s just too embarrassed to admit it!”  The sandy-haired boy stopped talking as the snickers overwhelmed him.

Harry stared at the hysterical Ron and Seamus before turning his eyes to his other friends.  Neville was blushing furiously, his eyes cast down and avoiding Harry’s gaze.  Dean’s face also showed embarrassment as he tried to shove off his best friend.  Hermione continued to hide her face behind her book but Harry had the sneaking suspicion that she was still blushing.

 _‘Why do I have the feeling I’m missing out on something?_ ’ Harry thought, staring at his friends.

:: **Oh yeah, you’re missing something** :: Qye said, also staring at the hysterical Gryffindors through Harry’s eyes.  :: **You’re missing their insanity**.::

“What’s going on here?” a new voice drawled behind them and Harry flushed slightly as he recognized it.  Swallowing slightly, he turned around to see Malfoy - :: **Draco** :: Qye whispered teasingly – smirking at him.  His blush deepened slightly as he recalled what had happened yesterday.  He dropped his eyes down to the ground, recalling the feeling of the other boy’s hands against his own…

“OH, SWEET MERLIN!”

Jumping, Harry whirled around at Seamus’ shocked shout, startled and alarmed.  His brow furrowed at the staggered look on the sandy-haired boy’s face, the blue eyes almost popping out of his face.

“Oh, sweet Merlin,” Seamus repeated again, the stunned look still on his face.  “It was _him_!” he cried out, pointing at the bemused Slytherin, who was surrounded by his scowling and suspicious court.

:: **Huh?** :: Qye said.  Harry couldn’t agree more.

“What are you talking about, Finnegan?” Malfoy said coolly, looking distastefully at the Irish boy but his pale, gray eyes looking interested.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Seamus,” Ron said in an annoyed voice, having stopped laughing when the blond arrived.  Glaring hatefully at the cool Malfoy, the redhead growled to Seamus, “Harry wouldn’t do that.  Would you, Harry?” Ron added, glancing at the confused boy from the corner of his eye.

“Wouldn’t what?” Harry asked, still completely confused and a little more than frustrated.  He glanced at Malfoy, who raised a pale eyebrow in question at him.  The Gryffindor shrugged slightly.

“Oh, don’t deny it,” Seamus snapped, causing Harry to jump in surprise from the unfamiliar tone of voice.  The Irish boy was frowning slightly at the bemused boy.  “I saw you blushing when Malfoy came here and that’s a guilty sign as any!  Admit it!  You were dreaming about Malfoy!”

Harry’s mouth fell open.

:: **Oh, burn me!** :: Qye said, sounding and feeling as shocked as Harry.  :: **Is _that_ what they’ve been blabbing about all this time?!** ::  Harry couldn’t say anything back, still staring wide-eyed at the accusing sandy-haired boy.

His mouth opened and closed repeatedly as he stared dumbstruck at the other boy, unable to form any kind of response.  His stupor was broken by a low laugh from behind him.  Still stunned, Harry turned around to find the Slytherin smirking at him, his pale eyes shining with amusement as a few strands of white-blond hair fell into his face.  The black-haired boy felt heat slowly begin to creep up onto his face.

“You’ve been dreaming about me, Potter?” Malfoy laughed softly.  “I’m flattered.”

Harry’s face flamed up even more as all of the Slytherins began to laugh.  Malfoy was laughing as well but for some reason, his laugh didn’t seem to carry the mocking of the others.  It didn’t matter either way.  Trembling from mortification and humility, he dropped his eyes down and turned away from them.

Next to him, he heard Ron growl out, “Don’t flatter yourself, Malfoy.  Harry would never stoop as low to even think about cowardly, little rodents like yourself.”

“Why not?” Malfoy said lazily back but Harry could hear a tinge of anger in his voice.  “He thinks about you, doesn’t he?”

Ron snarled, taking a step forward with obvious intent of harm.  Harry grabbed his arm without looking up from the floor, his hair shadowing his eyes.

“Leave it, Ron,” he said quietly, not raising his eyes.  “You know he’s just trying to bait you while we’re around Snape.  It’s not worth it.”

“Exactly, Ron,” Hermione said soothingly, as she stepped up next to the fuming redhead and placing a restraining hand on him.  Her brown eyes turned to glare angrily at the blond.  Raising her voice slightly, she said coolly, “Don’t you know?  No matter how hard they try to clean themselves, ferrets will always reek.  They aren’t worth the time.”

Harry’s hand tightened on Ron’s arm slightly before he let go, dropping his arm to his side.  ‘ _That’s not what I meant…_ ’

“I suppose you would know about filth, wouldn’t you, Granger?” Malfoy said in a tight voice.  Ron growled again and Harry felt the anger of the other Gryffindors rise as well.  The tension grew thick in the corridor, both Houses ready to snap out their wands. Fortunately, Hermione kept her hand on the redhead and he stayed where he was, preventing a close fight.

“Come on,” Harry heard Malfoy finally say coldly to the other Slytherins, breaking the tension.  “I just took a shower.  I’d rather not get dirty.”

The Gryffindors growled as the Slytherins passed them.  He heard a few of them hiss “Pleasant dreams, Potty” but he refused to raise his eyes from the stony floor as they moved past him.  As Malfoy passed him, he felt the pale Slytherin brush his hand against his own.  He quickly shoved his hands into his pockets, refusing to look at him and after a barely noticeable pause, the blond continued and walked into the classroom.

The Gryffindors stayed silent in the corridor.  Ron was still fuming furiously but Hermione was murmuring calming words to him, slowly draining him of his anger.  The others moved around uncomfortably, some muttering darkly about the Slytherins. Harry continued to look down at the ground, feeling oddly calm though he knew he should have been feeling upset or embarrassed still.

Hearing someone clear their throat, he looked up with a detached expression to see Seamus standing in front of him, looking slightly ashamed.

“Listen, Harry,” the sandy-haired boy said uncomfortably, his eyes not meeting Harry’s cool ones.  “I’m sorry about that.  I…I guess I kind of overreacted there.”  Seamus looked timidly up, forcing a weak grin.  Raising a hand towards Harry, he continued, “You know I was just – ”

Harry’s hand snapped up and slapped Seamus’ away from him.

Seamus took a step back from him, eyes wide with shock and a tinge of fear.

Rage unlike anything he had ever known roared up in him from an unknown source, overwhelming his serene composition and making his face twist unfamiliarly in fury.  Anger made his body quiver, made his usually bright green eyes darken, flashing dangerously.

“Don’t you think you’ve done enough?” he snarled, his words and eyes dripping pure acid.  Seamus took another step back and Harry hissed at him venomously, “ _Fuck_ **off** and leave me **alone** , Finnegan.”

Gasps rose from the other Gryffindors and Seamus’ eyes widened even more.

“Harry!” Hermione said, aghast, and he could feel Ron’s stunned look on him.

The fiery torrent continued to envelop him for a moment, shaking him down to his core.  He wanted to hurt Seamus more but…a moment later, he blinked slowly and the rage vanished.  A wave of dizziness hit him and he struggled to hide it.  Blinking again, he stared at the destruction of the anger.

Pale, shocked Gryffindor faces met his, disbelief clear in their wide eyes.  Seamus eyes were filled with hurt and looked away from his own when Harry turned to look at him.  Dean glared at the black-haired boy as he placed a comforting hand on the sandy-haired boy’s shoulder.  Harry turned to Ron and Hermione and found them staring at him as if they had never seen him before.  Realization of what he had just done hit him and he felt himself pale.

Trembling, horrified, he whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Dropping his eyes, he hurried into the Potions classroom.  Quickly sitting down beside Malfoy, he mechanically began to set up his materials as the rest of the Gryffindors silently walked in a moment later.  He saw Malfoy shoot him a sharp look but he managed to keep a straight face.  After a moment, the Slytherin looked away and continued to read his textbook.

On the inside, Harry was shaking with revulsion over what he had done.  His hands shook slightly as he set up his cauldron and he could feel his insides writhe with shame.  How could he have done something like that?  As he finished setting everything up, he dropped his elbows on the table and covered his face with his hands, feeling weak and disoriented.

‘ _Seamus was just trying to apologize_ ,’ he thought, breathing slowly to calm himself down.  ‘ _He didn’t mean any trouble…why did I do that?’_

::… **Harry?** ::

Shivering slightly, he inwardly turned.  :: ** _Yeah?_** :: he said softly back to Qye, still shaken.

:: **Are you all right?** :: Qye asked in a faint tone of voice.  Harry furrowed his brows slightly in concern.

:: ** _I’m…fine_** :: he replied quietly, shuddering slightly.  :: ** _Are you?_** ::

Qye was silent and Harry felt his worry rise up.  Before he could say anything however, Qye whispered, :: **I’m sorry** …::

:: ** _Sorry for what?_** :: Harry asked, growing alarmed.

:: **I’m sorry for what happened back there…** :: Qye said quietly, his voice coming back stronger but sounding a bit ill.  :: **I…I didn’t mean for that to happen…** ::

:: ** _What are you -_** :: Harry froze.  :: ** _It was you_** :: he breathed out a moment later and he felt Qye shiver.

:: **I didn’t mean for that to happen** :: Qye said in a small voice, a note of panic in it.  :: **I really didn’t…I…I don’t know what happened.  All of them were irritating me and then when everyone was about to start fighting, I got really angry and you were practically oozing off hurt and then Finnegan comes along, trying to make a joke out of it and that pissed me off so much and -** ::

:: ** _Qye, calm down_** :: Harry murmured soothingly to the other boy, feeling Qye beginning to grow hysterical.  :: ** _I’m not angry with you, calm down_** …::

:: **I really didn’t mean for that to happen** :: Qye said after taking a moment to calm himself.  The younger boy still sounded upset though.  :: **I don’t know what happened.  I just wanted to lash out at Finnegan but I never meant to do that!** ::

:: ** _Qye, it’s okay_** :: Harry said gently to the other boy, not wanting to get him upset anymore.  :: ** _I’m not holding it against you or anything.  You didn’t mean for it to happen, it’s all right.  I have to apologize to Seamus but don’t worry about it, all right?_** ::

:: **Finnegan kind of deserved it…** :: Qye mumbled but Harry felt him calm down.  He was about to respond to that when he felt a tap on his knee.  Raising his head from his hands, he looked at Malfoy, who nodded up to the front where Snape was getting ready for a lecture.  Sighing, he dropped his hands and picked up his quill.

As he was copying down the notes, a sudden thought occurred to him.

:: ** _Qye_** :: he said slowly as he watched Snape write up the instructions for the internal bleeding healing potion.  He felt Qye raise his attention from his memories where he had been flipping through.  :: ** _Qye_** :: he said again, once he had the other boy’s attention, :: ** _You…you have some  control over my body…_** ::

:: **I said I didn’t mean to** :: Qye said, beginning to grow upset again.

:: ** _No, Qye, that’s not what I meant.  Think about what I just said.  You. Can. CONTROL. My. Body_** :: Harry said urgently, staring blankly at the instructions.  Qye was silent, radiating confusion.

Confusion turned to understanding and then quickly to shock and unease.

:: **This isn’t good…** :: Qye said slowly and Harry mentally shook his head.

:: ** _No, it’s not_** :: Harry sighed, finishing copying down the instructions.  They were both silent for a moment as Harry quietly got his ingredients.  As he slowly began to cut them up, he said quietly, :: ** _We need to get you out of me_** ::

Qye said nothing but Harry could feel his agreement and fear, which echoed his own.

\-------

Harry was midway through his potion when the knock came.  Blinking, he looked up with the rest of the students as Snape stalked over angrily to the closed door, an irritated expression on his face.

Snape flung the door open.  Harry couldn’t see around his billowing black robes or tall stature but he saw the Potions Master’s shoulders tense up and his hands tighten.

“Are you aware I have a class right now, Professor Opacre?” Snape said coldly.

Harry blinked in surprise.  ‘ _Professor Opacre?_ ’ he wondered as he stirred his potion, absently keeping count while he curiously looked towards the door.  Qye raised his attention from reading.

“I’m quite aware of that, thank you, Severus,” Opacre replied coolly from the doorway.

“Then would you mind telling me why you care to disrupt it?” growled Snape, unmoving from his position in blocking the doorway.

“I wanted to show my brother around the castle,” the vampire woman replied irritably.  “For some unfathomable reason, the Headmaster suggested I take him to visit your classroom and so here we are.  Will you let us in now?”

Beside him, Harry felt Malfoy stiffen.  Inside him, Harry felt Qye freeze.

“Can’t you get go waste the time of another teacher?” Snape snarled, still not moving.

“Oh, for Hélène’s sake,” barked the vampire teacher, anger laced in her voice.  “You know I wouldn’t be visiting your class if I had my way but the Headmaster made me promise that I would show my brother your class.  It’ll only take a moment, I just want to show him a regular wizarding class.”  Opacre paused then said something in a low murmur.  Whatever she said caused Snape to stiffen before reluctantly moving away from the doorway.  His cold, black eyes stared in furiously at the revealed DADA teacher, who was looking extremely smug.

“Don’t bother the students!” barked Snape, turning away from Professor Opacre and back to the students.  His eyes narrowed at them and he snapped, “What are you all gawking at?  You’re here to work, not to be the fools you are!  You should be approaching your last three ingredients by now!”  The students hastily resumed working as Snape stalked through the rows, growling at the Gryffindors.

Harry removed the paddle from his cauldron and added the thyme leaves quickly.  He glanced at the doorway to see Professor Opacre walk in with a hooded figure behind her.  The figure was obviously Professor Opacre’s brother, which meant he was…

:: **Lest** :: Qye whispered as he looked through Harry’s eyes to look at the tall vampire.

Decked in black jeans with a white long sleeved shirt and a dark gray hooded vest that was zipped up, Opacre’s brother could have passed for a normal young adult…if it weren’t for the too-pale skin.  As he checked the instructions for the next step, Harry watched the new vampire from the corner of his eye, trying to look at his face.  The hood was pulled too forward, however, and all he could see were pale rose lips and a curved jaw like his sister’s.

:: **It’s good to see that he’s changed his wardrobe** :: Qye whispered as Harry watched Professor Opacre cheerfully wave a hand at the class.  He dropped his eyes when the blonde woman began to turn towards him.

:: ** _What do you mean?_** :: Harry asked, as he added three drops of rain dew to the potion and watched it turn yellow.

Qye was silent.  Then he laughed softly, the laughter tinged with fond remembrance.  :: **I’ll tell you later.  Add your sprigs**.::  Harry frowned slightly as he added them.  He was reaching for the paddle when a hand grasped his.

He lifted his head and glanced to the left to find Malfoy looking at him with a sharp gaze.  Scowling slightly, he jerked his hand free, his mouth tightening as he remembered the Slytherin’s words in the corridor.

“What?” he hissed slightly as he turned back to his potion, stirring it counter-clockwise.  He heard Malfoy sigh.

“You’re angry with me,” Malfoy said softly, turning back to his own potion and sprinkling in the eryle root.

“Gee, what would ever give you that idea?” Harry said sarcastically as he glared at his potion.  He spared a moment of his glare to the blonde.  “Why do you care if I’m angry at you or not?  You used to live to infuriate me, didn’t you?”

“That was back then,” Malfoy said stiffly, removing the ladle from his own potion.  “I don’t know if you may have noticed this or not but I haven’t tried to make your life a living hell this year.  I think I’ve been relatively well-behaved, don’t you think?”  Giving up all pretenses, the other boy turned in his seat and glared at Harry.  The Gryffindor refused to look at him, removing the ladle from his own potion and stubbornly glaring at it.

The Slytherin snarled softly and grabbed Harry’s shoulder, making Harry face him.  The green-eyed boy glared at him, shoving Malfoy’s hand off.

“Damn it, Potter,” Malfoy growled, his pale eyes darkening with frustration, “I don’t think I deserve this.  Yes, I was a jerk to your friends but you know as well as I that they started it and I could give a hippogriff’s arse if that made me sound childish.  I don’t like being blamed for something that wasn’t entirely my fault.”

:: **He has a point** :: Qye mumbled distractedly.  Harry shook his head and turned his eyes back to his potion.

“You haven’t answered my question, Malfoy,” Harry mumbled as he stared at the bubbling liquid, which was slowly turning green.  “Why do you care if I’m angry at you or not?”

“Because - ” Malfoy stopped abruptly and Harry glanced over at him.  The Slytherin’s eyes were turned away from him, blinking at a piece of crumpled parchment that had appeared on their table.  The pale boy frowned, picking it up and smoothing it out.  An annoyed expression came upon his face as he read the note scribbled on it and his stormy eyes glanced behind them.  Harry glanced behind too and saw Pansy look pleadingly at Malfoy above her frothing potion.

Malfoy sighed and tucked the parchment into his pocket.

“Cover for me, will you?” Malfoy asked Harry, glancing at him as he got up from his seat to help a desperate Pansy.  Harry shrugged, turning back to their potions.  He heard Malfoy mutter under his breath as he crept towards Pansy, who had been moved three tables behind them.

Harry dropped his elbows to the table again, raising his hands to rub at his temples while he closed his eyes.  He was going to have a headache later on, he was sure of it.

:: **Hang in there** :: Qye said quietly, still looking through Harry’s eyes.

:: ** _Mm_** :: Harry mumbled back.  :: ** _You know, it might lessen if you stopped looking through me._** :

:: **I know but…** :: Qye hesitated.  :: **Harry…listen, could you just take a look at Lest one more time?  I…I have to see him.  Please, Harry**.::

Harry sighed and opened his eyes, still rubbing his temples.  :: ** _Sure_** :: he said wearily, glancing over to where the vampires had been standing, :: ** _What harm could -_** ::

The vampires were gone.

He frowned slightly, feeling a tinge of disappointment come from Qye.  :: ** _I guess they must have_** \- ::

“My favorite student isn’t slacking off now, is he?” an amused voice said in front of him.  Jerking up and dropping his hands, Harry snapped his eyes to the front of his table to blink at a grinning Professor Opacre.

He blushed slightly.  “Er…hello, Professor,” Harry said softly, grinning sheepishly up at the vampire woman.  “I was just resting a bit.”  He glanced at the potions and hastily added in the next ingredients, stirring them in gently.

Professor Opacre laughed quietly, her eyes twinkling.  “Ah, that’s good,” she grinned, her fangs glinting slightly.  “I wouldn’t want Severus here to kidnap you every night for detention.”

“He still manages to find ways to do so,” Harry muttered as he stirred his potion.  Professor Opacre laughed again.

“I’m sure he does,” she grinned.  He smiled at her, his spirits slightly heightened by her cheery air.  His smile faded and he glanced at the doorway again.

“Did your brother leave already?” he asked softly, his green eyes looking curiously up at her as he cut his last two ingredients.

She snorted and nodded to the back of the room.  “No, he decided to go terrify some of your classmates.  Lest – my brother – calls it _socializing.”_   She rolled her eyes and Harry grinned.

Glancing towards the back, he saw the taller vampire calmly walking through the rows and softly speaking with pale and nervous Slytherins and Gryffindors.  The vampire paused for a few moments with each student, causing them to sweat.  Parvati dropped a vial when he spoke with her and Harry winced slightly at her terrified expression.

:: **I don’t understand** :: Qye said in a perplexed voice.  :: **Why are people so afraid of him?** ::

:: ** _I don’t know_** :: Harry replied, wondering the same thing though he too felt a bit uneasy about the new vampire.

“Not much of a people person, is he?” Harry asked as he turned around to face Professor Opacre.

The vampire woman sighed and shook her head regretfully.  “One of the areas he lacks a lot in,” she said in a heavy voice.  The blonde looked at him a bit more, a slight frown coming onto her face.  “Are you - ”

“Didn’t I tell you to not disrupt the students, Opacre?” a cold voice said behind Harry.

Harry winced as a flash of annoyance went through the woman’s eyes.  Professor Opacre straightened up and turned to glare back at the Potions Master.

“I’m not disrupting him,” she said through gritted teeth, her blue eyes flashing.  “I’m making sure he’s on task and having small talk.  Perhaps you’ve heard of it?”

“Not with vampires, no,” Snape said coolly, turning away from the angry vampire and walking back to his desk.  Professor Opacre’s eyebrow twitched slightly.

“Excuse me, Harry,” she said stiffly, stalking over to Snape while Harry watched.

:: **I almost pity him** :: Qye muttered, looking through Harry’s eyes.  :: **It’s almost impossible to make Myn angry but when you do…** ::  Harry shook his head and turned back to his potion.

:: ** _Isn’t it  the same with all girls?_** :: Harry muttered as he stirred and prepared to add the last ingredient.  Qye snickered.

:: **I suppose, I wouldn’t know** :: Qye chuckled.  The amusement from the younger boy faded quickly and in a slightly anxious voice, he said, :: **Er…Harry…** ::

:: ** _Don’t worry, I’ll look at Lest_** :: Harry said dryly as he placed the ladle down.  :: ** _Let me just add this and then I just have to let it simmer for three minutes.  Relax_** :: he said soothingly as he reached for the last ingredient.

:: **I am relaxed** :: Qye muttered in a tense, distracted voice.  The younger boy sighed.  :: **Well, maybe I’m a little - Harry, that’s not - !** ::

Harry’s eyes widened in horror as he saw that instead of grabbing the balmsry stem, he had instead grabbed the sunflower stalk.  As his wide eyes watched in dismay, the stalk seemed to fall in slow motion towards his until-now-perfect potion.

Just before the stalk fell from his hand, a white blur appeared.

The green-eyed boy blinked in surprise at the slender, pale hand wrapped around his tanned one, capturing the stalk between the palms of their hands.

“I don’t believe that’s what you have to put in,” a voice said quietly next to him.

Harry froze.

Qye froze.

His mouth suddenly dry, his wide green eyes looked up…

…and met the dark blue ones of the vampire, eyes which looked softly at him.


	15. Meetings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "At last!" I hear everyone saying. XD I just want to take a moment to thank everyone who's taken time to read this story. It means a lot to me and I wish I could give you all a hug. Instead, I hope you all have wonderful days up ahead! <3

_He_ was in here.

That was the first thing he noticed as he stepped into the classroom.  He could feel _him_ , feel _his_ blood call to his own, softly reaching out to him.  He could smell the warm, metallic scent through the sweat of the hot students and putrid airs of the potions.  He could’ve smelled it anywhere, the strong, alluring scent so strong that it made his mouth water though he had it only once.

The Libidates flared up in him, stronger than ever.  He suppressed his shiver and bit back his moan of want, need.  The Libidates continued to rage in him, against his restraint, eager to be set free from where he had kept it in its cage for five years.

Too long.

Swallowing, he concentrated on the room before he lost his control.  Marylin was chattering on about something – he couldn’t focus enough to know what she was saying – and he swallowed again, desperately hoping she didn’t notice him being so uncontrolled.  As she paused for breath, he hastily murmured something about seeing how much progress there was.  At least, that’s what he hoped he managed to say.

Shoving his hands in the pockets of the vest, he moved silently through the rows, trying not to show how eager he was.  The fumes of the potions swirled around him but they did not matter as he breathed in deep.  He could still smell _him_ …

He made sure to pause once or twice – maybe more, he didn’t care, he couldn’t focus – and talk with the students.  He dimly noted apprehension and some fear in their eyes and wondered if any progress had been done.  Maybe there hadn’t been any…or maybe the nervous state was simply because of him.

He found he couldn’t have cared less.

He continued to wander, speaking absently with the uneasy teenagers, subtly making his way to _him_.  He was so close…the Libidates rose in him again, telling him to give up all pretenses and let it loose, let it out of the cage he had made for it so long ago.

He shivered again as he slowly began to approach _him_.  Hélène, how he wanted to…too long…

Snarling silently to himself, he shoved the damn part of himself away, holding himself back again.  He breathed in deep, trying to cool his natural heat…

…and he froze.

The scent was right next to him.

His eyes fluttered shut and he surrendered slightly, breathing in the tempting smell, relishing in it for a moment.  God, if the smell drove him _this_ mad.

Trembling – Hélène, he was trembling!  He hadn’t trembled in years and now he quivered with barely restrained want! – he slowly opened his eyes and looked down.

He took a sharp breath.

 _He_ was right there.  The Libidates surged up and he fought it off, his dark eyes staring down at the boy – no, he wasn’t the small boy he had left behind – the _teenager_ , who was looking at the potion, apparently unaware of him.

‘ _Hélène…_ ’ he thought, mesmerized, as he looked down at _him._ His messy hair was still the same, the black locks falling into his face, shadowing his still-bright emerald eyes, gentle above a slender nose and a rosy, mouth curved into a natural pout.  His skin was no longer the pale cream it had once been but rather had a golden touch on it, as if he spent more time out in the open.  The boyish looks were gone, replaced with a youthful face that was growing up.  The young face, however, still retained that mature-beyond-his-years look that his boyish face had.

Hélène, he was beautiful.

The Libidates suddenly raged and he was overwhelmed with a sudden force of jealousy and possessiveness.  Yes, he was beautiful.  And he knew he wasn’t the only one who saw it.  How many had seen his boy’s beauty and tried to claim it?  A silent growl grew in him.  It didn’t matter.  The beauty had already been claimed before it had blossomed.

A sudden motion brought him back from his thoughts – and drove the Libidates away again – and he looked down to see _him_ reaching for an ingredient.

He frowned slightly as he noticed the teenager pick up the sunflower stalk.  Glancing around, he saw the rest discarding the stalk and only using the petals.  Turning his eyes back to  _him_ , he saw the green eyes looking absent.

The hand and stalk were poised above the potion when the emerald eyes suddenly snapped to attention, a horrified and dismal look appearing in them quickly as the stalk began to fall.

Without pausing to think about the consequences, he shot his hand forward, capturing the stalk between their palms as his long, ivory fingers wrapped gently around _his_ hands.

A rush of heat filled him, the Libidates roaring in him as the long lived with ache inside him suddenly disappeared.  The soft skin, softer than feathers, silkier than anything he had ever felt made him want to moan with pleasure.  He could feel the warm blood pulsate beneath his fingers, its delicious scent surrounding him and creating a new ache inside of him, replacing the other one quickly.  Feeling the blood move beneath his fingers, the scent encompassing him…he wanted to whimper with unfulfilled desire.

He felt the teenager freeze.

Silently groaning with agony, he forced the primitive feelings rising in him away.  Taking a deep breath to calm – and cool – himself, he looked at him, unable to hide the gentle look in his dark blue eyes.

Wide green eyes – looking so much like the first time he had looked into them – rose up slowly and met his own.

As he looked softly down into those long-missed eyes, he bitterly remembered his promise to himself before he had come here.

‘ _I won’t interfere in his life_.’

\-------

Harry stared into the dark blue eyes.

Through him, Qye stared at the underlying icy bitterness.

The classroom continued to buzz around them, the Boy-Who-Lived and Opacre’s brother, unaware of the growing tension between the teenager and vampire.  The students continued to whisper quietly among themselves as the green-eyed boy and blue-eyed vampire stared at each other.  The Slytherins and Gryffindors chattered, unbeknownst to them that a pivotal moment of the future of their world was taking place.

The boy with the lightning bolt scar continued to stare, not knowing that his future was being shaped.

For once, there were no thoughts running through Harry’s mind.  Both he and Qye thought of nothing as they both looked wide-eyed into the eyes of Lest Opacre, who still gazed with the soft look in his eyes.

It was the vampire who broke the contact first.

Harry let out the deep breath he hadn’t known he had been holding in as the hooded vampire turned his eyes away.  A million things whirled through his head, not one of them a coherent thought.  His own green eyes turned away from the vampire, looking down at the table.

Qye remained silent.

“I think you should add your next ingredient.”

The Gryffindor swallowed at the low murmur from above, the voice sounding like velvet.  Harry blinked rapidly, his breath coming out shallowly.  He still couldn’t manage to think…

“Did you hear me?” came the soft voice again and the teenager reluctantly raised his eyes up to meet the blue eyes once more.  He was surprised to see the soft look in them gone, replaced with a cool, indifferent look.  Harry felt Qye flinch.

Swallowing, Harry nodded hesitantly.  The vampire just continued to stare at him emotionlessly and Harry began to feel uneasy, suddenly uncomfortable with the nosferatu.  He dropped his eyes and reached for the next ingredient…

…and was surprised to find his hand still in the gentle but firm grip of the vampire.

He blinked at his captured hand, confused.  Glancing up, he found the vampire studying him with a detached look upon his face.  He licked his dry lips and grew more uncomfortable when the dark blue eyes focused on them.

Swallowing, he whispered timidly, “Can I have my hand back?”

A flash of puzzlement flew through the diamond-sapphire eyes and Harry glanced towards their hands.  The blue eyes followed his and surprise and faint embarrassment filled them as they caught sight of the entwined hands.

Quickly, the vampire dropped Harry’s hand and the stalk onto the table.

Harry looked away from the vampire as the blue eyes turned to obviously look at his own green ones.  With his now-freed hand - which shook slightly - he grabbed the next ingredient and tossed it into the potion, grasping the ladle and stirring the potion furiously.  The vampire continued to stand next to him and Harry determinedly kept his eyes away from the blue-eyed man.  ‘ _Why is he still standing there?_ ’ he thought, uncomfortable with the vampire's presence.   ‘ _What does he want?’_

“You should be more careful,” the vampire suddenly said, leaning against the table.  Harry gave a small start, glancing up at the still indifferent man.  His brow furrowed slightly and he unconsciously slowed his stirring.

“What do you mean?” he asked confusedly, his uneasiness forgotten as he looked curiously into the blue eyes.  The ice in them faded slightly as a bit of amusement flashed through the sapphire eyes.

“Well,” the vampire said dryly, “You almost ruined your potion with a wrong ingredient and now you’re stirring so fast that some of it is sloshing over the edges.  Bit of a klutz, aren’t you?”

Harry stopped stirring, staring at the faintly amused vampire.  Inside his head, Qye chuckled softly.

:: **He hasn’t changed** :: the other boy laughed softly, his first words since the encounter.  The words were full of fond remembrance and deep relief.  Harry was momentarily puzzled by the emotions but the situation at hand distracted him from thinking about them further.

:: ** _I can see why you two are best friends_** :: Harry scowled at Qye.  The younger boy said nothing but Harry could feel him smiling, still giving off the feeling of deep relief.

“I suppose airhead would be a better term,” the vampire said, his voice suddenly breaking into Harry’s thoughts.  Harry blinked and found pale lips twitching slightly as blue eyes continued to express faint amusement.

 “Why do you say that?” he asked in the politest voice he could muster up, forcing himself to not glare at Opacre’s brother as he pulled the ladle from the gently bubbling potion and placing it down on the table as he looked mildly up at the vampire.

The pale lips twitched again.  “Well,” the blue-eyed vampire drawled slightly, leaning further against the table, “you’ve been staring at me vacantly for a minute now.  And now that I think about it, there was an absent look in your eyes when you picked the stalk up.  Daydream much?”

A faint feeling of surprise – and jealousy? - came from Qye.  :: **He was looking at you long enough to notice that?** ::

Harry unfortunately was unable to respond, seeing as he hadn’t managed to keep the polite look on his face.  A glare sneaked its way onto his face and his eyebrow twitched slightly as he looked heatedly at the vampire, whose amusement seemed to be growing.

“I’m not an airhead,” Harry said through gritted teeth, his bright green eyes throwing flames at the vampire.  “I was just…distracted.  And you’re distracting me even more so could you please go away?”  Huffing slightly, he turned away from the amused vampire.

:: **Oh, you shouldn’t have said that** :: Qye said pityingly.  Harry frowned inwardly.

Before he could say anything, a quiet laugh came above him.  He glanced back at the vampire…and blinked when he saw a small, pleased smile on the pale, amused face.  Harry looked confusedly at the laughing eyes.

“Go away?” the vampire laughed quietly, his smile turning into a smirk.  “Just for that, I don’t think I will.”  The teenager’s eyes rolled and he stared in annoyance, causing the vampire to laugh again.  :: ** _God, he’s just like you_** :: Harry thought disgustedly at an amused Qye.

“What’s your name?” the vampire asked, his small grin still playing upon his lips.

“Harry Potter, sir,” the green-eyed boy muttered, still looking in annoyance at the vampire.  He blinked in surprise when the smile vanished from the pale face.

“Do I look that old to you?” the vampire asked softly and Harry blinked again.  He watched curiously as a pale hand rose, pushing back the hood.

Harry’s eyes widened.  Qye felt stunned.

The vampire was a fallen angel.  That was the only thing that could have explained it.  Dirty blond hair whose ends curled just barely above the end of his ears.  Dark blue eyes framed perfectly in a mature face that was smooth.  A curved jaw fitted pale pink lips that looked inviting.  High cheekbones and a curved nose finished the refined look of the young adult.

:: **Oh…well…** :: Qye said faintly.  The young boy seemed unable to say anything after that.

“I’m only twenty,” the young vampire said mildly, his dark, sapphire eyes looking down at Harry as a couple of bangs fell into his face.  “I rather think myself that I don’t quite deserve a ‘sir’ just yet.”  A blond eyebrow rose.  “Or are you calling me old?”

A flush graced Harry’s cheeks and he shook his head rapidly.  “No, no,” he said quickly, blushing further under the vampire’s amused gaze.  “I…I d-didn’t mean to call you that old – I mean any old!  I just called you sir because…well…you’re young but you’re not that young.”  A horrified look came into his eyes.  “I mean…um…sir….ah! Wait, sorry sir – gah!  I mean - ”

:: **Harry** :: Qye said too blandly, obviously on the edge of laughing hysterically, :: **Shut up**.::

Harry blushed further and lowered his eyes.  “I’m sorry, sir,” he muttered then winced and groaned, hiding his face in his hands.  “I’m just going to shut up…”

Qye snickered.

The vampire laughed softly and Harry felt a cool hand push his own hands away from his face.  He determinedly kept his eyes on the table, still blushing fiercely, and the vampire chuckled again.  A slender hand tilted his head up and Harry reluctantly raised his eyes to meet amused ones.

“Why don’t you just call me Lest, Harry?” the vampire said softly.

The blush faded away slowly and the black-haired boy blinked up at the vampire.  Harry studied the vampire thoughtfully for a moment.  Feeling an encouraging nudge from Qye, he nodded tentatively, reassured.

“Lest,” Harry repeated, smiling hesitantly.

Lest smiled.

:: ** _He looks better smiling_** :: Harry said to Qye, looking at the easy features of the blond vampire.  Smiling, he looked his age rather than twice it.

:: **Yeah, he does, doesn’t he?** :: Qye nodded, still looking through Harry’s eyes.  :: **It reminds me of him when he was -** ::

Qye froze.

:: ** _Qye?_** :: Harry asked, surprised and worried by the sudden silence.  :: ** _Qye, what happened?_** ::

The younger boy slowly retreated from looking through Harry’s eyes and the black-haired boy grew even more anxious by the sudden withdrawal and blank, slightly stunned, feeling from Qye.

:: ** _Qye?_** :: Harry said, worried and alarmed when the other boy didn’t say anything, :: ** _Qye, what’s wro -_** ::

“Why don’t you get your hands off him, Opacre?” a cold voice said suddenly behind Harry.

Lest’s smile froze.

Reluctantly turning his attention away from the too-silent Qye, Harry turned away from the vampire, breaking Lest’s hold on his chin.  The Gryffindor looked over his shoulder…

‘ _So that’s why he’s called the Ice Prince of Slytherin,_ ’ Harry thought, staring at the blond’s winter eyes that blazed frigidly.

“Malfoy.”

Harry turned around and drew back sharply when he saw the harsh look on Lest’s face, the blue eyes darkening further, narrow and cold.  The smile was gone, taking with it the gentleness of the vampire.  Harry swallowed and was unpleasantly reminded why vampires had such a negative image.

“Opacre,” Malfoy said, smiling coldly and moving next to a bewildered Harry.  “Surprised to see you again, here of all places.”

“Likewise, Malfoy,” Lest hissed, stepping away from the table and folding his arms, his own winter eyes flashing darkly at the other blond.  “I was under the impression that this school was for students, not little mommy’s boys.”  The vampire sneered as Malfoy’s jaw clenched.  “Haven’t seen you in a while.  Can’t say I’ve missed you, though.”

“The feeling’s mutual, Opacre,” Malfoy said through gritted teeth, placing himself in between the vampire and the table, his gray eyes flashing furiously.  “What’s wrong, vampire?  Couldn't find any young and helpless infants near your house anymore that you have to start picking off teenagers?”  Sparks flew as their eyes met and the temperature of the classroom seemed to drop drastically in a few moments.

“Malfoy,” Lest said, a cold smile appearing on his face to match his freezing eyes, “I think I’ll leave torturing the innocents to you.  I guess you’re used to it since we all know that you’re such a daddy’s boy that you’ll follow in his footsteps eventually.  Tell me, are you still licking his shoes before you go to bed?”

Malfoy’s hands curled into fists.

“It’s funny,” Malfoy hissed, “that you’re calling me that when everyone knows that you kissed your father’s ass more than anyone, including your mother.”

Lest snarled.

“I guess you know everything about kissing asses, don’t you, Malfoy?” the vampire snapped and Malfoy’s fists trembled.  “You little piss-nosed, inbred son of a beast’s bitch, you’re that same little asshole with more than a stick up your arse.  I’m surprised to find you here, of all places, a place crawling with age and dirt.   Always pegged you for a _prissy pissant_ who shrieked at a smudge of dust.”

Malfoy’s hand flashed towards his pocket.

Without thinking about it, Harry shot up from his seat where he had been gaping at the two snarling at each other.  He found himself standing in between the two blonds, his hands holding back Malfoy’s right hand, which grasped his half-drawn wand.  He barely managed to stop the other boy from pointing it at the vampire, who looked ready to forgo restraint and launch himself at the Slytherin.

“Don’t, Draco,” Harry snapped.

At that moment, Harry became aware of a few things.  One, he had just called Malfoy by his first name with the name just seeming to roll off his tongue with ease.  Two, Draco was looking both surprised and furious, surprised because of the use of his first name and furious because Harry wasn’t allowing him to draw his wand.  Three was that although Harry couldn’t see him, he could feel Lest’s cold glare burning into his back, making him want to shake with fear and move from his spot between the two.  Four was that Qye’s feeling of shock had just grown.

Oh, and five?  Five was the realization that the entire class had stopped working and were – and had been – staring at Lest, Draco, and Harry.

Harry trembled, feeling everyone’s gazes on him as he stood close to Draco – he dimly realized he was calling him Draco now – his hands on the Slytherin’s and his back to the frosty vampire.

There was silence as he continued to stand there, his face burning and his eyes downcast as he continued to hold onto the other boy’s hand.  He wanted to move very much but the fear of what might happen if he let Draco go – and what might happen to him – kept him in place.  :: ** _Qye, I don’t know what’s wrong but a little help would be greatly appreciated right now_** :: Harry thought desperately.  Qye said nothing.

“Lest...”

Glancing behind him, Harry saw Professor Opacre standing next to her brother, who suddenly looked detached and emotionless.  He felt Draco stiffen slightly before relaxing under his hands, which, he was shocked to realize, had been absently rubbing soothing circles on the back of the Slytherin’s hand.  He forced himself to stop.

“Perhaps we should go, Frater?” Professor Opacre said mildly, placing a calming hand on her brother’s arm.

Turning his eyes uncertainly to Lest, Harry was confused to see the vampire looking at him with a bitter look in his eyes.  He unconsciously leaned closer against Draco, uneasy about the rapidly swirling emotions in the dark blue eyes.

The vampire continued to look at him for a moment, face emotionless and eyes churning.  Then, without a word, he turned swiftly away and swept out of the classroom.

Professor Opacre sighed and turned to smile apologetically at Harry.

“I’m sorry,” she said ruefully, her blue eyes flashing with weariness and irritation.  “He’s a bit…well, he’s a bit odd sometimes.  He’s not always like this.  I hope he didn’t bother you too much, Harry.”

Harry wordlessly shook his head, dropping Draco’s hand and moving away from the Slytherin.  He dropped down into the chair, avoiding the eyes of everyone, feeling the feeling of being isolated once again.

“I told you to not disrupt my class, Professor,” he heard Snape sneer maliciously.  “You can be sure that I shall be making a point of this…incident…at the next staff meeting.”

“And I’ll make sure to point out who started it,” the vampire said coldly.  Glancing up, Harry saw Professor Opacre shoot Draco a furious look, to which the Slytherin responded with one of his own.

“I’ll speak with you later, Draco,” the blonde woman said, gritting her teeth.  Draco scowled, his dark eyes burning into hers.  The vampire met his gaze coolly and after a few moments, he dropped his eyes, glaring fiercely at the floor.  Opacre nodded satisfactorily.

“I’ll be going then,” she said calmly.  She shot Harry an apologetic glance, to which he shrugged, and then glided out of the room with her light yellow robes swirling around her.

“What are you all doing?” Snape suddenly snapped, causing Harry to jump and look at the irritated Potions Master, who was now glaring around furiously.  Draco moved swiftly to his seat, sitting down.  Harry saw the blond look at him from the corner of his eye as the Slytherin sat down but he refused to return the look.

“Get back to work!” Snape barked and in a split second, the students jumped to return to finishing their potions.

Harry looked at his potion, which was just a shade shy of the perfect color.  Sighing, he reached for a vial to turn in the potion…

…a vial which he promptly dropped as the sound of a resounding thud echoed out in the corridor, shortly followed by a muffled voice, whose words were in a different language but the meaning was clear.

Shocked again, the class stopped and stared at the closed door but there were no further sounds.

“Stop gawking and get to work!” snarled Snape, his black eyes glittering angrily as he stared, scowling, at all the students.  His eyes narrowed further when the class was slow to resume, some Slytherins and Gryffindors alike still eyeing the door uneasily.  He flew down at them and a few scathing words – and some lost points – later, the Potions class started up again.

As he picked up his vial from the table, which was amazingly not broken, Harry glanced at the closed door again.  ‘ _What happened?’_ he thought worriedly.  Sighing, he turned back to his potion and began to ladle some into the vial.

:: ** _Qye?_** :: he thought to the other boy as he watched Snape snarl out their homework and dismiss the class.  The younger boy still wasn’t saying anything, the only indication of him being there his feelings, which were steadily growing darker.  He bit the inside of his cheek as he plugged up the now filled vial.  :: ** _Qye, say something, please…_** ::

:: **What do you want me to say?** ::

Harry barely stopped himself from letting out a sigh of relief.  :: ** _Merlin, you were giving me a heart attack_** :: he thought, relieved as he cleaned up the leftover ingredients.  :: ** _What’s wrong Qye?_** :: he asked worriedly as he straightened everything up.  :: ** _You just went quiet.  Is something wrong?  Are you all right?  What happened?_** ::

:: **Calm down.  I’m fine**.::

He frowned as he stood up, discarding the trash and cleaning his materials.  Qye was sounding odd again.  His voice was almost…mechanical.  As if he was just responding automatically without thinking about it.  Considering the turbulent the feelings he was giving off were, his emotionless voice alarmed Harry greatly.

:: ** _Qye_** :: Harry began as he dried his utensils slowly, staring at them without really looking at them, :: ** _Qye, what’s the -_** ::

“Why did you stop me?”

His head snapped up and he took a step back as he found Draco leaning against the sink, looking at him.  He hadn’t even noticed him come up.

“Leave me alone, Malfoy,” Harry snapped, scowling because of the interruption and because it was Draco.  He turned away and stalked back to the table, beginning to pack away his materials like the other students.  Draco, he noted, had already cleaned up.

“That’s kind of hard to do considering our current situation,” Draco said coolly, following Harry and leaning against the table.  “And I thought I was Draco now,” he said, raising an eyebrow and smirking.

Harry’s eyes flashed up at the Slytherin and he slammed his bag closed.

“That was a slip of tongue and a mistake, _Malfoy_ ,” Harry said, placing special emphasis on the other boy’s last name.  Draco’s eyes darkened and Harry smiled tightly, slinging the bag over his shoulder.  “Are you going to leave me alone now?”  Without waiting for a response, he turned away to leave the classroom.

Draco’s hand latched onto his arm, spinning him around to look wide eyed into frustrated eyes.

“What the hell is the matter with you, Potter?” Draco snapped, his eyes narrowing dangerously.  “Have you finally lost it?  You’ve been acting strange the entire year and it’s really beginning to piss me off.”

“ _I’m_ acting strange?” Harry replied in an incredulous voice.  “Maybe you should start taking a look at yourself before accusing other people of being weird.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Draco frowned.

Harry rolled his eyes.  “Oh, don’t act dumb,” he said acidly to the other boy, glaring irritably.  “If anyone’s lost it, it’s been you. The only thing that could’ve changed more than you is a butterfly.  What happened?  I can’t believe you got a heart over the summer, Malfoy.”

The gray eyes darkened.

“Don’t,” Draco said in a low voice, his eyes burning into Harry’s.  “I can easily slip back into my role of being an asshole, fighting and squabbling over the littlest of things.”  The hand that still grasped Harry’s arm tightened before letting go and falling to his side.  “I had rather thought you might have matured a little and would like the ceasefire, considering your situation.  But I’ll be the little nuisance if it’ll make you feel better.”  Draco tilted his head, his eyes cool.  “Is that what you want?”

“It would seem a little more normal,” Harry snapped, rubbing his arm and shifting uncomfortably.  He glared at the suddenly calm looking boy, taking a step back.  “You can’t expect me to just accept you acting human all of a sudden, Malfoy.  No one can change as much as you seemed to have.  Frankly, I don’t trust you or your little act.”

“Is that what you think it is?” the Slytherin asked, raising an eyebrow.  At Harry’s firm nod, he smiled a faint, bitter smile.  “Not much in giving second chances, are you, Potter?”

“I’ll give second chances when I think it’s justified,” Harry countered quickly, eyeing the bitter look on the other boy’s face.  “You still haven’t given me a reason to give you one.”

“If I gave you a reason, would you trust me?” Draco asked softly.

Harry studied the other boy, thinking about it.  “Yes,” he said finally.

Draco looked at him, his gray eyes dark and lost in thought.  Gray and green eyes met each other steadily, warily studying and weighing each other.  Harry firmly held the gaze, determined to figure out the other boy’s strange attitude once and for all.

“Harry?”

The black-haired boy blinked and Draco dropped his eyes, turning around to pack up his own bag.  Harry looked at the Slytherin but the pale boy was refusing to meet his eyes.  Sighing silently, he turned around to find a worried Hermione and wary Ron.  The shorter boy started in surprise when he realized they were the only ones left in the class.

“Come on, mate,” Ron said, glaring at the back of the Slytherin.  “We have Herbology next and that’s on the other side of the school.”

Harry glanced at the Slytherin again, who still wasn’t looking at him, and sighed.

“Alright,” he said reluctantly, turning away slowly and heading for the doors.  Ron and Hermione followed slowly, Ron moving only at a nudge from the bushy-haired girl.  Harry glanced at them and winced inwardly when he saw both of them looking at him with questions in their eyes.  Well, Ron more with that look which indicated that he was stepping – if not already in – his overprotective attitude.  Hermione merely looked at him thoughtfully and Harry mentally sighed, knowing she was probably overanalyzing one thing or another.

As they reached the door, Draco suddenly called out his name.  Harry turned around warily, Ron glaring furiously at the cool blond, Hermione still looking thoughtful.

“There’s something you should probably know about Opacre’s brother, considering how cozy you two looked when I interrupted,” Draco drawled, slinging the bag over his shoulder, his pale eyes looking calmly at Harry.

Harry’s face heated and he glared heavily at the white-haired boy.  “We weren’t - ” he stopped, realizing that train of thought would only cause him more aggravation.  Taking a deep breath, he continued in a steadier tone of voice, “Considering how un-cozy you two were with each other, what makes you think I’ll believe anything you say about him?”

Draco shrugged, lazily strolling over to them.  “You don’t have to take my word for it.  You can ask anyone who knows anything about the vampire war.”

“Vampire war?” Hermione interrupted, frowning.  Draco smiled tightly at her.

“Yes, the war among vampires,” he said, laughing mirthlessly, his eyes cold.  “It’s convenient that Professor Opacre has failed to tell us anything about it.  It’s also convenient the vampires decided to send an ambassador right after their war ended, don’t you think?”

“Like we’ll believe you, Malfoy,” Ron sneered, moving to stand between the Slytherin and the other two Gryffindors.  The blond shrugged.

“Don’t take my word for it, you can look it up,” Draco said nonchalantly.   He smiled humorlessly again.  “All the accounts are going to tell you the same thing though.”

“What’s that?” Harry asked warily, uneasy about where this was going.

Draco looked at him with his winter eyes again.  “That Lest Opacre is directly responsible for the deaths of 37 vampires, killing 11 of them personally.  He’s also responsible for the death of three wizards, one of them being a cousin of mine and another a child.”  He smiled frigidly at their stunned faces.  “Do the vampires still hold your trust?”

Inside his head, Qye roused from his deep thought to whisper disbelievingly in a small voice, :: **Lest…?** ::

\-------

“Is there any reason in particular why you hit me, Soror?” Lest asked coolly as he followed her into her rooms, silently shutting the door behind him and leaning against it while crossing his arms.  His dark eyes flashed dangerously.

Marylin turned around and scowled heavily at him, her hands clenching.

“You’re lucky I chose to hit you in the back of the head instead of the front!” his sister snapped.  “What the hell is the matter with you?!”

Lest raised an eyebrow.  “What do you mean?”

He ducked as she grabbed the nearest ornament and flung it at him.  Brushing the fragments of the shattered vase off him, he looked mildly at his fuming sister.  “Time of the month?”  He ducked the flying book next.  “Guess so…”

“I have spent _half a year_ trying to convince these kids that all those stories _weren’t_ true about us,” she snarled, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at him.  “ ** _Half a year_** , Lest!  And in the space of ten minutes, you’ve probably ruined all my work and caused enduring all those weeks of being glared at, whispered against, and generally living in the most unsociable place in the world for me pointless!”  Letting out a frustrated shout, she collapsed into the nearest armchair and scowled heavily at him.  “I think I earned the right to hit you.”

He walked quietly over to her and sat down on the couch next to her, carefully watching for any more signs of violence.  “I’m sorry, Marylin,” he said softly, his dark blue eyes meeting hers calmly.  “I didn’t mean to.”  He shrugged, his eyes darkening slightly.  “You know how I get around that spoiled…Malfoy started it.”

Marylin lunged forward and smacked him behind the head like before.

As he rubbed the back of his head and glared at her, she half-shouted, “Hélène, you sound like a child instead of the adult you’re supposed to be, Lest!  _He started it?!_   He’s a teenager!  You should have just ignored him! And,” she added, her eyes narrowing, “Didn’t I tell you beforehand to try and keep things civil between you two in public?”

Lest gritted his teeth and dropped his hand from his head.  “In case you’ve forgotten, he didn’t exactly give me a choice to stay civil…”

“I’ll be having words with him too,” Marylin sighed, falling back into the armchair and closing her eyes.  “Can you at least try to ignore him?”  Lest made a noncommittal sound and she sighed again.  “I suppose that’s the best I can get.  But, ignoring him, what do you think?”

He leaned back in the couch, looking thoughtfully into the fire.  “I think you’ve done reasonably well,” he said slowly, “considering your position.  Not the best results but you still have three and a half months left.  I think, given that time, we’ll be able to get the help we need should the Dazains launch something with Voldemort.”

“Good,” Marylin murmured.  The siblings were silent for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts.  After a few minutes, Marylin opened her eyes and looked at her brother.

“I noticed you were comfortable with Harry…” she said, her light eyes watching him sharply.  “That’s the first time you’ve smiled for real since…since five years ago.”  Lest said nothing, his dark eyes focused on the fire.  She pressed on.  “He’s one of my best students, you know.  He and his friends could probably help us - ”

“So you noticed it too.”

Marylin blinked.  “What?”

Lest turned to her, the detached expression on his face.  “How important he is.”

“What do you mean?” Marylin frowned.  Lest raised an eyebrow.

“Haven’t you noticed it?  I assumed since you’ve been here six months, you would see it.”  Lest shrugged at her confusion.  “Everyone pays attention to him, Marylin.  When I walked over to him, I noticed that everyone was watching me carefully, the Gryffindors in particular.  They weren’t  paying attention to me and Malfoy when we had the fight.  It was Harry they were looking at, all of them.  If the class is anything to go by…” The vampire frowned.  “He’s someone important here.”

“I hadn’t noticed that,” his sister murmured and he shrugged, turning his eyes back to the fire.  He felt her eyes on him again.

“What do you think of him, Lest?” Marylin asked quietly.

He was silent, staring into the flickering flames.  The bright green eyes, wide and full of innocence even when annoyed, an innocence they hadn’t had before, flashed in his mind.  The soft look on his face, the shy and slightly hesitant manner with a firm and stubborn will beneath it, the gentle air that surrounded him…things that hadn’t been there before.

He was different.  Too different.  But…

Lest lips curved into a small smile, his dark eyes softening unbeknownst to his sister.

“I think I like him,” he murmured.


	16. Fine, Not Sick

When Harry woke up on the Monday following Lest’s arrival, he knew he should stay in bed. He knew that something really bad was going to happen when he opened his eyes to find that some idiot leaving a window open and him kicking off the covers in the middle of the night had led him to developing a stuffed up nose and sore throat.

Getting sick on a Monday morning following a vampire’s arrival after never getting sick for four years at Hogwarts was surely an omen of bad things to come. Really.

:: **Or maybe you’ve been breathing in too many of the bat’s high fumes** :: Qye said dryly as Harry turned over and curled up into a ball, coughing quietly. :: **Maybe you should stay in bed. Who knows what else you might foretell, O Great Seer.** ::

:: ** _Shut up, Qye_** :: Harry said weakly, trying to stifle his coughing. He winced as his head throbbed and similarly felt Qye wince.

:: **Ow…okay, apparently mind-talking isn’t that smartest thing to do when you’re sick…ow…** ::

:: ** _When_** **_is it_ ever _a good thing?_** :: grumbled the teenager as he coughed a bit more. Groaning, he slowly sat up, his left hand clutching his head.

:: **Funny. Now what the hell are you doing?** :: Qye growled as Harry groped around for his glasses on the bedside drawer.

:: ** _What_** **_does it look like, genius?_** :: Harry asked sarcastically, finding his glasses and putting them on. He swallowed thickly as the room spun and wobbled shakily.

:: **About time you recognized it. Pity I can’t say the same for you. And since I’m obviously the smarter one of us, why don’t you do what I said to do?** ::

:: ** _Which was?_** :: Harry asked confusedly as he blearily looked around the room, the other boys still sleeping soundly.

:: **STAY IN BED!!** ::

Harry winced at the shout and closed his eyes tightly, pressing the palms of his hands against them as his head pounded further. :: ** _Please don’t shout_** :: he whispered painfully, a shudder sweeping through his body as he coughed.

There was a moment of silence, broken only by Harry’s quiet coughs. Then a soft sigh came from Qye and Harry’s eyes fluttered as he thought he felt a feather-like touch brush across his mind, gone before he could wonder whether it had really happened or not.

:: **M’sorry** :: Qye murmured as Harry rubbed his eyes gently. :: **But you really should stay in bed** ::

:: ** _Didn’t realize you were being serious_** :: muttered Harry as he pushed himself up. The room spun and the teenager staggered, gripping a bedpost to prevent himself from falling on his face.

:: **I’m always serious. And I don’t think I need to give you a reason as to why you should stay in bed** :: Qye said in a flat voice as Harry waited patiently for the world to make up its mind of how it would stand. :: **And I should really stop looking when you’re moving. Ugh. Bloody hell, if you feel as bad as I feel you feel, why the hell don’t you just call in sick?** ::

:: ** _I’m sure whatever you just said had logic in there somewhere but I’ll be damned if I can find it. And I can’t call in sick, I have Potions first thing today. Do I really want to annoy Snape on the first day of the week after that last lesson?_** :: Harry asked Qye as he walked unsteadily towards his trunk.

:: **I’d say it be fun** :: Qye responded idly.

:: ** _I’d say you’re insane_** :: Harry snorted, picking up his robes, a shirt and pair of hand-me-down jeans.

:: **True genius is often misunderstood** :: Qye said sweetly. There was a pause as Harry struggled with the task of putting his clothes on properly. :: **You should really stay in bed, Harry** :: Qye said softly as the other boy coughed again.

:: ** _I’ll be fine_** :: Harry said firmly. :: ** _It’s just a little cough_**.::

:: **No** **one’s going to believe that** :: Qye replied in a flat tone of voice.

:: ** _Really, Qye, it’ll be okay. No one will be able to tell the difference_**.::

\-------

“Bloody hell, you look like crap, mate” were Ron’s first words when he saw the shorter boy slumped over his plate.

:: ** _Don’t say a word_** :: Harry growled before Qye could say anything.

:: **I didn’t say anything** :: the other boy said innocently. Then his voice turned serious. :: **But really, if _Weasley_ noticed…** ::

“I’m fine,” Harry said aloud, both to Ron and Qye. “I just have a little cough, that’s all.”

“Try telling that to your face,” Ron frowned as he sat down across him. “You look like you’ve been thrown around by a pair of trolls and trampled by a stampede of elephanks.”

“Nice comparison, Ron,” Harry muttered. He jumped when a cool hand pressed against his forehead. He glanced up to see Hermione looking worriedly down at him.

“You feel a little hot,” she said as she dropped her hand and sat down next to him, her brown eyes full of concern. “Maybe you should’ve stayed in bed…”

:: **Gee, now why didn’t _I_ think of that?** :: Qye said sarcastically. Harry ignored him and the feel of his glare, forcing a smile onto his face.

“I’m fine,” he assured her, trying to keep the grin on his face. “Just need to have a spot of tea and eat something, that’s all.” His stomach rebelled at the thought. “Besides,” he continued hastily to cover up his queasiness, “you don’t want me to fall behind in class, do you? With O.W.L.s coming up and all…”

:: **That’s a _dirty_ trick and you _know_ it, Potter!** ::

Hermione bit her lip, obviously torn between her concern for his health and determination to make sure he pass all his O.W.L.s. Finally, she sighed, her loyalty to grades winning after being reassured that his illness was not serious.

“Fine,” she said reluctantly, beginning to load his and her plate with food. “But promise me you’ll go straight to the Infirmary after dinner.”

Harry stared as his plate filled up with bacon, eggs and toast, swallowing something back that tasted as bad as the smell of the food was making him feel. Funny…he _knew_ his stomach was empty…

“I promise,” he said, pushing away the taste and wondering if he could manage to trade his plate with Ron’s before Hermione could notice.

‘ _I’m not sick_ ,’ he thought firmly to himself as he surreptitiously began to relocate his bacon and sausage. Ron was gulping down at lightning speed so he doubted the redhead or brunette would notice any more food added to the Weasley boy’s plate.

‘ _I’m not sick, really,_ ’ he thought as the food from his plate disappeared. ‘ _Besides, breakfast was never my favorite meal of the day. It’s not like it’ll do me any harm.’_

\-------

:: ** _Qye?_** ::

:: **Hm?** ::

:: ** _Did I eat breakfast?_** :::

The other boy raised an eyebrow. :: **Are you suffering from amnesia now, too? Bloody, burning hell, next time I tell you to stay in bed -** ::

:: ** _I’ll listen but for now, just tell me if I ate anything_**.::

:: **No…why?** ::

:: ** _Because I feel like I’m going to -_** ::

“POTTER!”

The green-eyed teenager jumped, inwardly gagged as the world did a wobbly little jig, and turned to the irate blond beside him.

“What?” he asked wearily.

Malfoy - :: **Why** **are you calling him Malfoy again?** :: - scowled at him and jerked his head to Harry’s bubbling potion. “Did you forget something?”

Harry blinked tiredly, turned to his dull yellow potion and blinked again.

“N - ” he glanced at Malfoy’s dark red potion “ – er, yes?”

Malfoy growled, grabbed the carefully shredded mint leaves lying right in front of Harry and jerkily shoved them towards the shorter boy. Harry meekly took them and sprinkled them into his potion, which immediately turned a blood red. Glancing up at Malfoy, he saw the Slytherin still scowling at him.

“Well?” the taller boy finally snapped after a moment of silence. “Am I expected to stir for the Golden Boy now as well as be his personal reminder?”

Harry said nothing as he began to stir his potion slowly, his eyes downcast. He heard the blond let out an irritated growl beside him as added the almoss root, making the potion darker, though not as dark as Malfoy’s.

Ever since Malfoy told him about Lest, things seemed to return to the way they had been before the two had formed a wary truce with each other. Though Hermione had done some minor research, proving Malfoy’s comments to be true, Harry still kept the same attitude as always with Professor Opacre.  He still wasn’t completely comfortable with her brother and thankfully only saw him at meal times, sitting next to his sister. He didn’t know why but he felt odd around the man and it wasn’t because he knew the vampire had killed wizards and vampires. It was just a strange sensation that coursed through him, oddly comforting and uncomfortable at the same time. He was beginning to consider avoiding the vampire altogether.

:: **There’s** **no reason to avoid him** :: growled Qye suddenly.

Harry paused in his stirring for a moment, startled by Qye’s sudden comment. He frowned inwardly and said as he resumed stirring, :: ** _Listen, I know he’s your best friend and all but he’s not mine and I don’t have to associate with him if I don’t want to. Besides, how can you still defend him after hearing about what he’s done?_** ::

:: **Simple. I don’t believe it** :: Qye said shortly. :: **Books are not entirely reliable**.::

:: ** _Says the bookworm…_** ::

The other boy growled. :: **Even if it is true – which I doubt it is – Lest must’ve had a reason. I know him and he’s not the heartless beast they’re making him out to be. He couldn’t have changed that much in -** :: Qye stopped abruptly.

Harry frowned as he added the bettle fly wings to his potion, raising a hand to cover his mouth as he coughed. :: ** _In what?_** ::

:: **Never mind. Just…add your dandelion petals, alright?** ::

The teenager sighed, dropping the subject and bright yellow petals, shuddering as the aroma hit him. He stomach fluttered uneasily and he coughed again.

:: **Stupid** **Gryffindor. Too bloody stubborn to admit you’re sick**.::

:: ** _I’m not -_** :: he sneezed :: **_\- sick…_** :: he finished lamely. Qye snorted and Harry glowered down at his simmering orange-red potion. :: ** _You know, I think I liked it better when you weren’t talking._** :

:: **Have** **you become delusional again? What are you talking about?** ::

Harry narrowed his eyes slightly, still keeping his eyes on his potion. :: ** _You’ve been unusually quiet ever since Lest arrived. And you trail off abruptly, like you did just a few moments ago. What’s up, Qye?_** ::

:: **The ceiling?** ::

:: ** _Qye…_** :: There was silence for a moment and Harry’s irritation faded. Sighing, he idly picked at the leftover frog nails and toes. :: ** _Qye_** :: he said quietly :: ** _Why_** **_won’t you tell me what’s wrong?_** ::

:: **There’s** **nothing wrong…just…** :: Qye trailed off again and the silence resumed. Harry continued to fiddle with the frog remains, coughing occasionally. He tugged at his collar, blinking tiredly. The dungeons – usually freezing – felt boiling and the smells of the potions and ingredients seemed stronger than usual, making him swallow constantly. Maybe he should’ve eaten something after all.

Finally, he heard the other boy sigh quietly. :: **Harry** :: Qye began and the teenager began to worry at the unsure and reluctant tone in Qye’s voice, something he had never heard before. :: **Harry** \- ::

“ _Damn it, Potter, pay attention!”_

The green-eyed boy jumped at the Slytherin’s sudden hiss and watched wide-eyed as the blonde extinguished the flames and hastily added the ice water to the frothing potion. Harry winced as he saw his potion turn to a dirty brown instead of the suave maroon it was supposed to be.

“Where the hell are you today, Potter?” Malfoy snarled as he turned to the bespectacled boy after making sure the potion was stable enough.

:: **Here, instead of bed, where you should be**.::

“Sorry,” Harry mumbled, looking down at the desk. He coughed again and tugged at his collar, loosening the red-and-gold tie slightly. Glancing at Malfoy, he was surprised to find him frowning slightly.

He was even more surprised when Malfoy placed a cool pale hand against his forehead.

Harry’s eyes fluttered shut and he leaned against the relief of his burning forehead. He sighed quietly, forgetting the tension of the past week between the two.

“Bloody hell, Potter,” Malfoy breathed. “You’re burning up.” Harry shivered as Malfoy rubbed his thumb gently against Harry’s forehead. He opened his eyes halfway to see the irritation in the silver-grey eyes that had been there since Lest’s arrival gone, replaced with the blond’s calm, aloof expression. Behind that, he thought he saw a hint a concern in those stormy eyes.

“M’not sick,” Harry mumbled, his green eyes locked wearily with Draco’s - :: **Draco again? Make up your mind!** :: - gentle ones. He didn’t move for fear that he might break the moment, making the blond remember the tension and cause him to take away the soothing coolness.

The Slytherin frowned. “Yes, you are. You should go up to the Infirmary. The potion is finished, or as much as it will be anyway.” The frown disappeared and a small smirk came upon the pale face. “Do you want me to carry you up again?”

Harry blushed slightly but didn’t move. “I’ll go after dinner,” he replied quietly, dropping his eyes. “I promised 'Mione I would anyway.” He raised his eyes again and tried for a small, reassuring smile. “It’s not as bad as it looks, really.”

Draco dropped his hand, an unconvinced look in his eyes. Harry couldn’t stifle his sigh of disappointment and the Slytherin’s smirk deepened, causing Harry’s blush to deepen as well. The amused expression disappeared as a stern one took its place.

“Don’t overexert yourself, Golden Boy,” Draco said as he dropped his eyes and began to clean up their station. “I don’t want my partner vanishing on me right before final exams, you know.”

“Right,” Harry said quietly, dropping his eyes as well and helping to clean up as well, trying to push away his blush and the strange warm feeling in his chest. It disappeared as the potions’ smells began to annoy his stomach again, making him grimace slightly. Stupid smells, making him sick.

He caught Draco looking at him sideways as he coughed and he paused in cleaning. He chewed his lip for a moment, and then on impulse, grabbed the other boy’s hand, giving it a small squeeze. “Thanks for worrying,” he said softly, giving him a small smile.

The silver-blond snorted. “M’not worried,” Draco said diffidently. But he squeezed back gently before slowly letting go. They both returned to cleaning up as Snape gave out the homework assignment.

Harry didn’t bother to say anything to Qye’s amused and smug emotions as he packed up, soft butterflies in his stomach he firmly attributed to his sickness and that strange warm sensation in his chest he was sure came from the heat. He honestly didn’t know if he had the right to say anything, or even if he wanted to.

He didn’t notice Qye’s hidden relief. He also didn’t notice Ron’s narrowed blue eyes at Draco or Hermione’s thoughtful brown eyes on him.

\-------

“Will you stop staring at me?” mumbled Harry later at lunch. “I’m not going to keel over, you know.”

“As soon as you stop looking like a ruddy green vam - ” Ron stopped and looked warily at the Head Table. “Like crap,” he finished, eyeing the DADA professor and her brother.

“Ron,” Hermione reprimanded but still looking at Harry with her narrowed, concerned eyes. “Harry, maybe you should just go to the Infirmary right now. I can pick up your assignments for the rest of your classes while you go and rest.”

The black-haired boy smiled weakly at the brunette. “I’m not sick, Hermione,” he said, laying his arms on the table and resting his head on them. Taking one look at the food on the table, he had declined on the excuse that he would eat a full dinner. Closing his eyes, he murmured, “I’ll go after dinner, don’t worry. I’ll make it through the day.”

Ron and Hermione exchanged worried looks, clearly unconvinced.

As the day wore on, Harry began to become unconvinced as well. The feverish heat surrounding him seemed to grow with each passing hour and the world spun and danced, occasionally causing him to lose his balance and stumble slightly. He managed to pass it all off as tripping but Ron didn’t look too convinced when he bumped into him as they stood in Care of Magical Creatures.

:: **If you say you’re fine one more time, I don’t know how but I’m going to smack you into next week** :: Qye threatened when Harry slumped against a cool wall in a deserted corridor on his way to dinner. He had shaken off Ron and Hermione to drop off his things and take a breather in the bathroom.

:: ** _Okay. I’m not fine_**.:: Harry admitted. :: ** _But I will be as soon as I get some Pepper-Up Potion or something after dinner._** ::

:: **Bollocks** :: Qye flatly said as Harry went into another coughing fit.

Harry tried to send a sense of reassurance to the other boy but Qye wouldn’t have any of it.

:: **Listen, you feel so bad right now that I’m beginning to feel weak too. So why don’t you do us both a favor, skip dinner and go to the blasted Infirmary already?!** ::

:: ** _Ron and Hermione will wonder where I’ve gone_** :: Harry sighed as he pushed himself off the wall and began to trudge over to the Great Hall. :: ** _Don’t worry, Qye. Besides, I need to eat something…_** :: He heard Qye sigh but thankfully stayed silent.

Harry walked into the Great Hall, wincing at the light and the chatter making his head throb. He tiredly made his way over to the Gryffindor Table where Ron and Hermione were already waiting for him. He just needed to eat something and everything would be alright. Qye snorted.

“Hey guys,” he said, smiling weakly at them as he tried to not collapse into his chair. His smile didn’t seem to help as the redhead and brunette kept their frowns.

“You’re going straight to Pomfrey after this, right?” Hermione immediately demanded as he sat down. Harry nodded and quick as a flash, she loaded up his plate and pushed it towards him. He stared at her wide-eyed. She stared back coolly.

“The faster you eat, the faster you can go to the Infirmary.”

“Thank you, Mother,” Harry muttered as he picked up his fork and began to push around his food. She didn’t smile as she poured them pumpkin juice. He glared at the calmly eating Ron. “Thanks for the support.” Ron shrugged.

“I know better than to cross her when she’s in her mood,” the redhead said around a mouthful of kidney pie. He swallowed and continued at Hermione’s disgusted glare. “Besides, I agree with her.”

Harry sighed and took a small bite of mashed potatoes. His stomach protested violently as he swallowed it painfully, immediately gulping down some juice, then regretting that too. One look at Hermione’s face and he knew he couldn’t escape from this one. He sighed and stared palely down at his almost full plate.

“Harry,” Hermione said gently and he looked at her softened, worried face. “Harry, you really have to eat something. You’re sick as it is.” Harry opened his mouth but another voice spoke behind them.

“So I was right.” Harry blinked, startled, and Ron and Hermione jumped beside him. Turning around in their chairs, they found Professor Opacre looking worriedly down at Harry.

“I was right about you being ill,” she repeated, her blue eyes looking at the small black-haired boy in concern. “You looked a little pale to me. Why haven’t you gone to the Infirmary?”

Hermione cut in before Harry could reply. “We tried to make him go in the morning but you know how he is, he’s so stubborn. But as soon as he finishes dinner, we’ll make sure he goes straight up there.”

Harry glared at the girl. “I’m - ” he began before a sudden cough came up. Coughing violently, he hunched over, using his sleeve to cover his mouth. He continued like this for a few more moments before finally managing to subdue them. Looking up, he was met with three pairs of concerned eyes.

“Fine,” he finished lamely. Professor Opacre raised an eyebrow and Harry blushed slightly. He rubbed his forehead slightly, heat beginning to rise in it as well as a mildly painful throb.

“Really,” he tried to smile at them, a wince from a painful stab breaking it. He rubbed his forehead again. “Really, I’m f - ”

The world split.

Harry suddenly found himself in a world torn in two and searing pain that accompanied the tear. In one part, he heard someone let out a loud scream that echoed throughout somewhere, thinking it sounded a bit like him. The screams of other people, not quite as loud, accompanied that one lone shriek. He heard people that sounded like Ron and Hermione and Professor Opacre shout, fear and worry and confusion in the voices.

In the other part of the world, a man screamed before him as two _things_ launched themselves at him.

The sounds and screams and cries and fear mixed together, filling his head with the noise and terror and pain and it hurt so much, tearing him further. He couldn’t understand any of them, one scream broken by another, a never-ending shriek of pain echoing throughout him.

In the chaos of the noise, he could barely hear Qye’s own cry. :: **What…hell…Har - ?!** :: Harry suddenly found himself assaulted with Qye’s own pain and he spared a moment’s thought to wonder where it came from before it added to his own torment and he heard that lone, piercing scream in part of the world grow louder.

Then that world’s sound seemed to dull, overwhelmed by the other’s in which the things, the terrifying, gruesome beasts, lapped at what Harry suddenly realized in numb horror to be the remains of what had once been a man. He stared at torn, thin strings around the man and numbly realized what part of the anatomy they had been before one of the monstrosities gobbled them down greedily. The sound grew in that world, screams coming from people he couldn’t see, enabling him to hear voices.

One voice in particular stood out.

“Don’t spoil them, Dazain,” a familiar high-pitched voice hissed as Harry continued to stare at the mangled mess and stained skin of the beasts’ faces and ragged claws. The cold voice suddenly began to break up. “…them ready…controlled…like your prisoners…”

The scene began to fade, began to be replaced with the picture of glided tables and sparkling chandeliers once more, the complete opposite of the place he had just been. He saw people standing, frantic, over him and found the scream coming from his own mouth begin to raise in volume once more.

:: **Harry...Where…back…Harry!** :: Qye’s voice came in, like a broken record, his voice urgent and frightened and worried. Harry clung to the familiar sound, felt it draw him back to the better part of the world where he was screaming.

The world began to grow whole once more and Harry felt small amounts of relief creep into him as the other part of the world dimmed. Just before it disappeared completely, however, he heard something. A quiet, soft voice came to him in a bored tone of voice.

“Out of sheer curiosity, Voldemort, but what is such a pure mind doing in your own?”

Harry felt confusion for a moment. Then the relief that had begun fled as panic flared up as _something_ seemed to reach for him, wrapping him in silky but frightful tendrils of darkness. They clung to him, wrapped around all of him, pulling him into the other world where he knew without knowing that something terrible waited for him there.

‘ _No…’_ Harry thought, terrified as he struggled against them. There were so many and as he began to resist, they seemed to constrict, growing even more determined to not let him go and his fear grew as that terror brushed against his mind. ‘ _No…let me go…let me go…don’t touch me…please…someone…help….Qye!_ ’ he cried out.

:: **HARRY!** ::

The tendrils snapped and Harry was hurled back into the light world where everything was blurry and thousands of faces swarm above him and people shouted and cried in frightened and worried voices.

He stopped screaming and lay there, wide-eyed and still.

“Hey!” someone who sounded like Seamus shouted. “I think he’s come around!”

The mass of faces pressed down even further and the voices grew louder as they closed in on him. He continued to stare unseeingly wide-eyed at them, silent and cold and burning at the same time.

“Back off, give him some space!” Another person shouted but the crowd didn’t seem to listen as they continued to bear down on him. Heat that was already running violently through his body grew intensely and a small sound escaped Harry’s throat as he laid there, eyes staring at nothing. Too much heat, too many people, Voldemort, tendrils, the voice, grabbing at him, tearing him, pulling, grasping, consuming…

:: **Harry, what the hell just happened?** :: Qye asked worriedly, his voice trembling. Harry shivered and he heard the distressed boy call his name again and again. It was so much, pushing down on him and he shook with it all and –

“Everyone, stand away now.”

A strong, powerful voice broke through the crowd and the faces began to diminish. Harry watched dully as a familiar aged face appeared above him.

“Harry,” the elderly figure said gently. “Harry, calm yourself. You are safe now.”

‘ _Safe?_ ’ The teenager became aware of the wetness that covered his cheeks and blurred his eyes. He blinked and heard his soft, frightened gasps. Closing his eyes, he felt the cool metal of his glasses placed back on his face lightly. Opening them once more, he saw Dumbledore’s solemn blue eyes looking down at him.

“What did you see?” Dumbledore asked quietly. Harry shivered, raising himself up gradually.

“Voldemort,” he muttered, his green eyes dull and empty. He shivered again and rubbed his face slowly. As he lowered his hands, he stared at the blood mingled with his tears.

“Harry,” the Headmaster said and he tore his eyes away from his now-bloodied hand, his body shaking slightly. He felt drained, powerless, so tired and the world blurred at the edges. Behind Dumbledore’s figure he saw a large crowd looking uneasily at him.

“Voldemort…he…” Harry swallowed and swayed slightly as he sat on the hard, freezing floor. “He…there was this man…he was wearing Muggle clothing…they…these two things…” Harry shivered and brought his knees up, laying his head down on them, his hands gripping his hair. He felt Dumbledore lay a comforting hand on his shoulder as the memory came back to him.

“They tore him apart,” he whispered, his body trembling. “They just…Voldemort said something to someone…to not spoil them and to control them I think…the other person…”

The memory of the force trying to hold him back came to him and he quivered at the thought, looking up at the old wizard, fear flickering in his eyes. He opened his mouth uncertainly, then closed it again and rested his head back on his knees.

“The other person…they - ”

“What’s the meaning of this, Dumbledore?” a cold voice broke through and Harry lifted his head slightly to see Lest Opacre push forward from the crowd, icy and radiating the feeling of –

Harry’s breath caught.

Whipping his head back to Dumbledore, unmindful of how badly his body was shaking, words spilled from his lips in a breathless rush.

“He was a vampire.”

The normally twinkling blue eyes narrowed and a murmur passed through the crowd. Out of the corner of his eyes, Harry saw the DADA professor’s brother stiffen, his own dark blue eyes narrowing as well.

:: **Vampire? Harry, what are you talking about?** :: Qye asked worriedly.

“It was…” A sudden weakness came over him. His eyes flickered as the little strength in him vanished and he heard the crowd let out a cry as he crumpled to his side on the ground. The Headmaster’s eyes widened and Harry distantly heard him sharply shout. Through his dimming vision, Harry saw a flash of red and thought it looked like Ron as it raced out of the Great Hall but he lost the thought as his vision and world grew dark.

:: **Harry!** :: he heard Qye cry out as he shivered, the heat in him beginning to encompass him.

“Harry, stay with me,” Dumbledore urged softly but he couldn’t hold on. As the world began to fade, he fought for a little strength to let Dumbledore know one last thing, feeling as though if he didn’t tell him right now, he wouldn’t be able to tell him later.

“The other man…his name…it…it was…D…Dazain…” he whispered.

The last thing he saw before his fever claimed him was Draco Malfoy’s soft, silver eyes looking concernedly into his own and his last thought was wishing he could comfort him in his warm arms.

And then his world faded.

\-------

“He’s sleeping now,” Madam Pomfrey said quietly as she walked out of the room where Harry lay unconscious.

Dumbledore had sent Ron up to alert the school nurse the moment Harry collapsed and then conjured up a stretcher for the unconscious boy. He had then proceeded with it to the Infirmary, followed by McGonagall and Snape. Neither he nor they said anything when Hermione silently took her place beside them but when Opacre and her brother stepped in as well, the Heads raised their eyebrows though Dumbledore seemed unsurprised. Madam Pomfrey had descended on Harry the moment they came in and left the silent crowd outside while she examined him for a few minutes.

“Will he be alright?” Hermione asked anxiously, her brown eyes full of worry. There were residues of tear trails on her face and her eyes were red-rimmed.

“His fever is still pretty high but it is lower than what it originally was.” She clicked her tongue irritably. “The boy should have been brought to me at the first symptom. I could have cured him sooner and he wouldn’t have had to go through this all. I imagine his fever worsened as the day wore on and it only added to the unpleasantness of his attack.”

“Will he be alright though?” Ron asked, looking pale, his hand gripping the girl’s beside him just as tightly as she was.

“Yes, yes,” the Head Nurse said impatiently, still looking annoyed. “He’ll need a lot of rest but he’ll be fine. I’m surprised he made it this far though. Boys,” she sniffed and returned to her office.

“Knowing that, I think you two can go back to the Tower now,” McGonagall said firmly. Hermione and Ron opened their mouths to protest but the Deputy Headmistress gave them a stern look and they closed them reluctantly.

“Come on then,” McGonagall said, exchanging a look with Dumbledore. “I’ll escort you both up there.”

The two Gryffindors silently followed their Head but not without taking a last worried look at the room where their best friend lay unconscious.

The blonde-haired woman waited until she was sure the two out of earshot before rounding on the Headmaster.

“What happened there?” she asked sharply, her sky-blue eyes bright with worry and confusion.

“I’d like to know that as well,” her brother said quietly from where he leaned against the wall, his eyes looking coolly at the wizard. “Is there something we should know about that boy, Dumbledore? Perhaps something about his mentality?”

“There’s nothing wrong with Mr. Potter’s mentality nor has there ever been,” Dumbledore said calmly. “His…affliction…is not his fault.” He paused and cast a serious look towards the two vampires. “You looked naturally grim on hearing the name Dazain but unsurprised. Perhaps we should go to my office to discuss these matters further.”

“Are you sure you want to trust them, Headmaster?” Snape suddenly broke in coldly as the vampires began to nod, his black eyes glinting. “You heard what Potter said. There are vampires with Voldemort. And though Potter is an idiot, he is an _honest_ idiot.”

The female vampire bared her fangs at the black-haired man, blue eyes dark with fury and her brother looked at the Potions Master with sleepy, half-closed eyes, absently fingering something around his neck.

“He also said Dazain, Severus,” Dumbledore said sternly, looking warningly at the man glaring coldly at the DADA teacher. “And I know of the bad blood history between the Opacres and Dazains so I’m not concerned with any duplicity.” Snape’s lip curled but he refrained from saying any more. The two Opacres stayed silent as well but a flicker of surprise went through their eyes at the extent of Dumbledore’s knowledge of them and the Dazains.

“We have things to discuss, Dumbledore,” the blond male said quietly, pushing himself off the wall, looking hard at the old wizard without any hint of the surprise he felt a moment before. Dumbledore nodded serenely and with that, left the room with the two vampires following him soundlessly.

Snape stayed in the waiting room, glowering after the vampires for a moment before turning his black eyes back at the room where the Potter boy lay. He narrowed his eyes slightly and pursued his lips. After a moment, without removing his eyes, he said, “He’ll be fine, Draco.”

The younger man stepped in from outside the room, quietly walking towards his godfather, his cool demeanor broken by the tightness around his silver eyes.

“Nothing wrong then?” the Slytherin asked softly, his eyes trained on the room where the Gryffindor lay.

Snape snorted and turned to his godson. “No, the little brat apparently just needs some rest.” The silver eyes turned to the older man, glaring, and the Potions Master made a little noise in the back of his throat, a grimace appearing on his face.

“Of all the people, Draco…” Snape muttered and blond shrugged. Snape sighed and turned away, briskly walking out of the Infirmary. “Well, come on. It’s almost curfew and I have to go mutilate some brilliant pieces of work by some first-year Hufflepuffs.”

Draco gave the room where the Boy-Who-Lived lay one last, lingering look before turning around and catching up with the other man, who was already striding down the corridor. They walked in silence for a while and it was only until they began to descend to the dungeons that the younger Slytherin broke the silence.

“I don’t trust them, Severus,” Draco said quietly, his tall, lithe form tense. “I don’t trust them around him. Dumbledore trusts and listens to you so why aren’t you doing something - anything for Salazar’s sake - against them?” He shot a half-accusing look at his godfather, who scowled lightly.

“You think I haven’t tried?” Snape snapped. “There’s nothing I can do, Dumbledore has full confidence in both of them and won’t think otherwise until they show their true natures. There’s not much I can do, they’ve been keeping themselves pretty clean.” He scowled, looking displeased at the fact.

“I don’t trust them,” the Malfoy heir said again, his mouth tightening and ice burning in his eyes. His godfather sighed and in an uncharacteristic gesture, laid a sympathetic hand on the young man’s shoulder.

“I don’t either,” Snape said quietly. “But they have done nothing – I can assure you of that, I’ve been keeping my eyes on them – so there’s no reason to fret yet.” Glancing at his protégé, he grimaced as he identified the reason as to why the blond was still tense. “And despite their interest in your Golden Boy, there’s nothing they can do to him. He’s one of the most protected people in the world and Dumbledore has plenty of eyes keeping tabs on him. I don’t see any way for them to do anything to him.” Draco continued to stay silent and Snape sighed, dropping his hand.

“He’ll be fine, Draco.”

\-------

In the Infirmary, the figure of Harry Potter lay on the bed, silent all night. The few times the nurse checked on him, he lay motionless. But when she was not there, his body trembled and his eyes flickered rapidly under his eyelids. By the time the sun began to gently rouse its head, the black-haired teenager lay completely still. The eyes fluttered as the first beam of sunlight crept into the room.

Dark green eyes opened.


	17. Freedom

Dark green eyes stared up at the ceiling, clouded with sleep, half-closed and blinking slowly. They traveled around, looking languidly up at the white ceiling, the pale sunlight casting small beams across it. They flickered closed again.

Then they flew wide open as Qye realized he was blinking.

‘ _What the hell?!’_

He shot up in bed, gasping and trembling. Then he groaned as he was hit with gravity and sight and smells and feeling and sound and all the other things he hadn’t dealt with for months.

He automatically curled his knees and laid his head on them, shuddering and breathing heavily.

Qye stared, eyes wide with shock and his breath coming out rapidly, at the beige comforter, light blue pajamas clad legs and pale golden skin that adorned a pair of feet. Hesitantly, Qye thought of flexing one of the toes and took in a sharp breath as it obeyed his thought. Snapping his eyes closed, he took several deep, calming breaths, shaking more as he inhaled the crisp, sterile air, recognizing that he was smelling it himself.

He tried not to hyperventilate.

‘ _Okay Qye, calm down’_ he thought firmly to himself, absently flexing his hands, and then jumping shakily as he found he had hands to flex. Another deep breath. ‘ _Okay, you have hands and feet, which means you have a body to go with them. Calm down and think about this logically Qye, I’m sure there’s a perfectly logical explanation as to why you have a corporeal form after not having one for a couple of months. Really. Just take this step-by-step. Calm down and think this through, stop acting like a child.’_ He took another breath and hesitantly opened his eyes.

With the sun barely giving off its light, the room was still dimmed with the morning darkness. Nevertheless, Qye winced and closed his eyes for a moment before reopening them determinedly. Having spent a long time watching through another’s eyes, it felt awkward to look through his own. He lifted his head slowly, partially because he was wary and partially because after spending months without having to deal with a body or weight, he felt heavy.

Funny, he never worried about weight.

Moving his head slowly around, he blinked as he recognized the room as part of the Infirmary. This meant he was still at Hogwarts. His brow furrowed in confusion and he was distracted momentarily by the feeling of facial movement. Shaking his head, he scolded himself.

‘ _Damn it Qye, focus,_ ’ he growled as he slowly lifted a leg out of bed and, with no small amount of trepidation, tested his strength. Satisfied that he would not topple over or collapse like an invalid, he slowly got out of bed. Everything appeared blurry and he squinted, momentarily wondering why before banishing the thought and continuing to observe the room. ‘ _Okay…now what, genius?’_

Something glinted at the corner of his eye and he turned his head to find a mirror hanging next to another bed. He hesitated, then slowly walked over to it, his walk becoming firmer with every step. Swallowing, he stepped in front of the mirror…

…and jerked as he saw Harry’s face looking tiredly at him.

‘ _What in gods…!?_ ’ He stumbled back, looking at Harry’s wide-eyed face looking at him. He snapped his eyes – and saw Harry’s eyes imitate him – closed and took in a deep breath. Then he opened his eyes again and looked at the familiar face.

‘ _Okay…take it easy…why do you have – HARRY!’_

He jerked, shocked. Harry! Where was he? He snapped his eyes closed and instinctively turned inward, probing around his mind for something that might resemble…

…Harry. He nearly sighed in relief as he seemed to touch something other than himself and feeling a lot like the other boy. He shuddered involuntarily as he felt it. ‘ _So that’s why he was so jumpy the first couple of weeks…blimey…’_

Shaking his head, he sat down on the bed and curiously felt Harry, shifting uncomfortably at the feeling but ignoring it. He frowned as he delved further into the presence of the other.

:: **Harry?** :: he thought to the other boy tentatively. There was no response and upon further investigation, Qye found him to be…sleeping? He frowned further and concentrated.

Harry seemed to be in a state of stasis, almost coma-like. Qye winced as he found Harry to still have a high fever, radiating exhaustion that only an extremely ill person had. Calling his name repeatedly seemed to have no effect and Qye sighed, crossing his legs and propping his elbows on his knees, resting his head on his hands.

He sat there in silence for a few moments, calming himself so he could think about all this. Harry was like a little part of his mind, nestled in the back, almost unnoticeable, silent and just giving off feelings of sleep and sickness. Qye chewed his lip, looking at the covers of the bed.

He could guess what happened, what he didn’t understand was how it happened. Lifting his hand, he studied it, moving the fingers slowly back and forth, turning it over.

Technically, he was sure this was Harry’s hand.

Growling in frustration, he fell back on the bed, glaring up at the ceiling. Somehow, he had switched places with Harry. Now, instead of him being the little voice inside someone’s head, it was Harry who was nestled in…well, his own mind while Qye had control over his body. The boy growled again, tugging his hair. So confusing…

Sighing, Qye closed his eyes. _‘Think, Qye, think…what was the catalyst? Everything has a cause. Think, you nitwit…’_ Last thing he remembered was being knocked out as Harry managed to get out -

Dazain.

Qye opened his eyes and narrowed them. The name was ringing a strong warning bell in his mind but he didn’t know why. It had something to do with the Opacres though. He frowned.

How did Harry get that name? And what had been all that about vampires and this Voldemort thing? Maybe it had something to do with that blackout.

Qye’s brow furrowed. The blackout. One moment, Harry had been talking with Myn with Qye looking, the next, something had knocked Qye back into wherever he stayed in Harry’s body, making him lose vision. He shivered as he recalled coming back and panicking when Harry seemed disconnected from him. He had called out for the other boy and his confusion and fright and worry grew as he heard Harry screaming in pain. He had called for Harry and then he felt him coming back, the connection growing stronger. And then Harry seemed to be going away again, only this time, Qye had had felt Harry struggling to come back, felt his terror of something and he reached out, calling and…

Qye shuddered and turned on his side, curling up into a ball. Something had been holding Harry back, he had felt it for the barest of moments. He shivered, remembering the cold, empty feeling.

Shaking his head, he thought about what had happened next. Harry had come back, he felt their connection again but when Qye had called his name, the other boy had remained silent. Harry radiated a numb sort of horror and pain and Qye had been relieved when he had started responding to the old man. But he hadn’t understood what occurred. The old man had asked Harry what he had seen and Harry had begun talking of Muggles – that name sounded familiar – and Voldemort. And right before everything went black, Harry had said a name that Qye knew he had not known before.

It was very confusing.

Sighing, Qye ran a hand through his hair. Feeling Harry again showed the boy still sleeping and still sick. Qye frowned as another thought came to him. He had heard once that after an extremely traumatic accident, people went into comas in order to heal themselves and he knew that people slept a lot when sick. Maybe…maybe after what had happened, Harry had subconsciously done that. But why had Qye switched places with him?

‘ _Maybe there wasn’t enough space,_ ’ he pondered thoughtfully.

Sighing, he stretched out his legs and closed his eyes. ‘ _Okay, so I’m in control of Harry’s body for an indeterminable amount of time while he recovers. I’m near the people who are the closest thing to a family I have but don’t know who I am. I’m in a school of magic, an area I know next to nothing about and possibly do not have. And I’m the complete opposite of Harry._ ’ He chewed his lip. ‘ _Guess the only thing I can do is play possum and try not to screw up his life, which will probably make him perhaps a **wee** bit upset.’_

A thousand things of what he could do flashed through his mind and he sighed regretfully. ‘ _Aw.’_

Shaking his head, he rubbed his eyes, unaware of someone entering the room. ‘ _Okay, so I’ll just pretend I’m asleep and no one will be the wiser. Easy.’_

“I’m glad to see you awake, Mr. Potter.”

‘… _Damn it.’_

He froze, then inwardly sighed and cursed Murphy’s Law as he dropped his hands. Maybe he could still pretend –

“Would you perhaps sit up for me so I can check your progress? Or shall I help you up?”

‘ _Guess not.’_

Inwardly growling in annoyance and shooting daggers at the woman – _‘WOMEN!’_ – who had just ruined his plan of action, Qye adopted an outward face of calmness as he slowly sat up, propping himself up against the pillows. ‘ _Bloody irony…mixing with life…_ ’

“How are you feeling, Mr. Potter?” Madam Pomfrey asked as she brought out her wand and walked over to his side.

‘ _Dandy but that just might be because I’m not Harry.’_

“Fine,” Qye answered blandly, eyeing the wooden stick apprehensively. He watched as the nurse muttered a spell, turning the tip white, unaware of Qye’s curious eyes and twitching fingers.

‘ _How does it do that?_ ’ he wondered, watching as she waved the magical object over him. _‘Does the wizard have the magic and just flow it through the wand or is it the wand that has the magic and the wizard the one who just activates it and controls it by his mind? Or – argh! FOCUS, Qye!’_

He brought his mind back from his ponderings in time to see the wand tip turn green and see the witch look at it with a confused frown. Shaking her head, she recast the spell and watched again with a bewildered look in her eyes as it turned green again. Finishing the spell, she stared at Qye with a bemused look in her eyes.

Qye didn’t like people staring at him. At all. Forgetting that he was supposed to act like sweet, meek Harry, he snapped irritably, “What?”

At her raised eyebrow and surprised look, he chastised himself and continued in a submissive voice. “Is something the matter?”

She looked at him suspiciously for a few moments where Qye clung desperately to his best Harry-meek look. She must have been satisfied because she nodded and the same confused look replaced her suspicious one.

“Yesterday, your temperature was abnormally high when I last checked it, Mr. Potter,” she said slowly, looking at Qye thoughtfully. “I was sure you would be in here at least a week. But if my spell is correct, then your health is…well, your health is perfect. As if you have had no fever at all.”

Qye’s heart began to race furiously and he swallowed nervously, frantically trying to think of a reason for the quick recovery. Harry had been sick yesterday but Qye had been perfectly healthy when they switched places so it made sense to him that he wasn’t sick.

He doubted it would to the nurse.

“R-really?” he asked in what he hoped was a calm and curious voice. “Well…um…guess I’m a fast healer, huh?” He gave her a weak grin.

Pomfrey narrowed her eyes at him and he sweated a bit. “No one heals that fast, Mr. Potter.”

Qye shrugged nervously. “Seems I do.” The nurse continued to stare at him suspiciously and he swallowed, maintaining his weak grin. “Well…since I’m better…can I go now?” She had ruined his cover so he might as well enjoy physical freedom for as long as he could. He didn’t exactly fancy spending his first day after having no body for months cooped up in the Infirmary.

Unfortunately, Pomfrey snorted and began walking out of the room. “You’re not leaving until I figure out why you’ve recovered so soon. For all I know, the moment you walk out, you’ll be hit with the fever and be stubborn again and not return until you’re an inch from death. Better start getting comfortable, Mr. Potter.”

Qye scowled at the retreating back of the nurse, growling softly.

‘ _Get comfortable, huh?’_ he thought with narrowed eyes. ‘ _We’ll see about that. You can’t watch me forever.’_ He sighed and slumped onto the pillows. ‘ _Unfortunately, you’re watching me right now. But you just wait, I’ll be out of here yet.’_

Qye looked at the window next to his bed and frowned as he saw that it was still blurry. Then a thought dawned on him. _‘Oh right, I’m in Harry’s body. Harry wears glasses. Where are glasses?_ ’ Wincing at his intentionally mangled English, he looked around and spotted the said round glasses lying on the bedside drawer. Sliding them on, he looked satisfied as everything came in focus.

Looking back at the window, he saw that the sun had risen fully but it was still too early for students to be up. _‘Good. Last thing I need right now is Weasel and Granger.’_

Pomfrey had ruined Plan A (not interfering with Harry’s people at all) but he had Plan B, which called for minimal interaction with Harry’s people, none whatsoever with people he was close to, i.e. Weasel and Granger.

Qye knew that no matter how hard he tried to act like Harry, he wouldn’t be able to pull it off completely. And since he knew next to nothing about Harry’s personal past, he knew he wouldn’t be able to say anything if they brought something like that up. And that would certainly cause more than a few raised eyebrows, something Qye did not need.

Hence, Plan B.

‘ _Okay, easy_ ,’ he reassured himself. ‘ _Just avoid everyone who knows Harry fairly well. No sweat.’_

Just then, Pomfrey returned with a breakfast tray…with the Headmaster walking right behind her.

‘ _SHIT!!!’_

“Good morning, Headmaster,” Qye said calmly, inwardly cursing every curse he knew and shouting at every deity. “How are you?”

“Quite well, thank you, Harry,” Dumbledore said smiling, taking a seat as Madame Pomfrey set the tray down in front of Qye. She gave him a look that said he better finish everything or he wouldn’t be leaving for a long time. Qye gave her what he hoped was a charming smile and not a baring of teeth as she walked away.

“Madame Pomfrey tells me you’re doing the same as me,” Dumbledore continued as Qye looked grouchily at the nurse’s back.

“She did, did she?” Qye asked calmly. ‘ _Damn gossiping hag…’_

“Indeed. Which is quite surprising, given the state you were brought in.” Qye shrugged, turning his eyes to his plate.

“Fast healer, what can I say?” he mumbled, looking down at the food but not really seeing it as a worry surfaced in him. He was wondering how close to the Headmaster Harry was. He supposed it must be some, considering the events of yesterday. And surely Headmasters didn’t visit every student in the Infirmary, no matter what the circumstances. They certainly had better things to do with their time, didn’t they?

He began to fervently hope Harry and Dumbledore weren’t _too_ close.

‘ _Damn nurse,_ ’ Qye thought viciously. ‘ _First you go and wreck Plan A and now you’re ruining Plan B. If I come up with a Plan C, you best stay away from it!’_

“Mr. Potter?” the Headmaster asked, his amused voice breaking the boy’s irritated train of thoughts.

“Hm?”

“Might I inquire as to what is so fascinating about your bowl of oatmeal?”

“Secrets of the universe,” Qye muttered.

“Really? I suppose I better change my breakfast meal then, cereal and toast seem to only hold the secrets of the galaxy.”

Qye looked up from the tray to the serene face of the Headmaster. ‘ _Eccentric, indeed_ ,’ he thought as he stared into those twinkling blue eyes.

He blinked when the brows above the blue eyes creased and a small frown appeared on the weathered, old face.

“Hm…it appears your quick recovery has left you with a reminder,” Dumbledore said thoughtfully. At the boy’s questioning look, he explained. “Your eyes appear a little darker than what they used to be.”

Qye blinked. “Are they?”

Dumbledore searched his eyes a bit more and Qye swallowed, fighting the urge to avert his eyes from the elder man’s gaze, a nervous feeling arising in him at the penetrating look, a feeling worsened as the frown and crease deepened more.

“Mr. Weasley and Ms. Granger sent a letter to Lupin and Snuffles yesterday,” Dumbledore said suddenly, his voice light but eyes still searching.

“Oh?” Qye replied casually as he wondered who Lupin and Snuffles were. ‘ _That’s it,’_ he thought, annoyed at himself. ‘ _The minute we switch back, I’m going to read as much of Harry’s background as possible. Gods, looking back now, it’s ridiculous how little I know. Damn it._ ’

“You should perhaps send them a letter, reassuring them that you’re fine now,” Dumbledore said, standing up abruptly and leaving Qye blinking. “That is,” the elderly man continued, a small smile replacing his frown and the twinkle his searching look, “when Madame Pomfrey decides to release you.” He chuckled softly at Qye’s sour look as he began to walk out of the room. He paused in the doorway and said airily, “Enjoy your stay.” And then he left.

Qye froze as he got a feeling that Dumbledore didn’t mean him staying in the Infirmary.

‘ _That man_ ,’ he thought, staring at the empty doorway, his heart beating rapidly, ‘ _knows way too much…’_

\-------

‘ _Good gods_ ,’ Qye thought to himself as he collapsed against a wall in a deserted corridor. ‘ _How the hell does somebody **not** get lost in this place?’_

After Dumbledore had left, Qye had dutifully attended to the breakfast he was provided, a bowl of oatmeal with various types of berries and a glass of orange juice along with a muffin with peach marmalade.

Qye closed his eyes as he remembered the soft, warm oatmeal, livened up with bursts of sweet strawberry, zangy raspberry, and tart blackberry. And the orange juice, though room temp, had been sweetly refreshing as he drank it, the smooth tangy taste wakening him. And the muffin with its delicious spread had been warm and comforting.

That was going to be his favorite meal for the rest of his life, he was sure.

Shaking his head from the first meal he had in months, he recalled what happened next with a slight smirk. Pomfrey had picked up the tray with a satisfied smile and Qye had watched her magic it away. She then prodded and tested him for an hour or two, to Qye’s annoyance, trying to find the reason to his (Harry’s) speedy recovery. Finding nothing, she huffed and temporarily gave up, to Qye’s relief. She went away but kept her eye on him so much that he was confined to the damn bed. It wasn’t until after lunch – a meal he ate with just as much relish as breakfast – that he found his chance. After finishing his meal, she sternly told him to lie in bed and rest – to which he responded innocently and meekly – and then returned to her office. He had waited a full minute after hearing her office door close, then jumped out of bed, hastily changed into Harry’s clothes lying at the end of the bed, and fled the Infirmary with a victorious smile.

He hadn’t know Lest and Myn for years without picking up a _few_ methods of escape.

Shaking his head, he opened his eyes and looked around the deserted corridor. Everyone seemed to be in classes right now but Qye didn’t want to take any chances, silently keeping to the edges as he walked through Hogwarts.

He stopped as he caught sight of an exit, leading to the grounds of Hogwarts. He pondered for a moment, then, without hesitation, walked outside.

Qye couldn’t restrain his grin as he saw the lake and the grass and the trees and the absolutely _no_ people.

“Brilliant,” he whispered, his dark green eyes taking in the beauty of the landscape. “To hell with whoever said green earth isn’t more valuable than grey industry.”

Taking another look to make sure no one was around, Qye surreptitiously made his way to one of the tall trees that lined the lake. Unlike some of the skeletal ones, this one was still thick with flourishing leaves and Qye couldn’t resist, jumping and grabbing a low branch, swinging himself up into the tree, quickly hoisting himself up until he found a perfect branch to sit on. Qye fidgeted until he found himself comfortable, one leg swinging, the other propped up, his back against the trunk. The boy smiled in satisfaction at the view.

Closing his eyes, Qye savored his freedom.

\-------

“What do you mean he’s gone?” Ron yelped.

The minute their afternoon classes ended, Ron and Hermione had raced immediately to the Infirmary. They had been unable to visit Harry during the morning, been denied at lunch and now that they had finally managed to find time to see him they found Harry had disappeared.

“I mean,” Madame Pomfrey said tightly, her lips thin and eyes dark, “he left. He must have left soon after lunch.”

As Ron eyed the school’s nurse warily, Hermione asked in a half-anxious, half-disbelieving tone of voice, “But why?”

The nurse took a deep breath. “Apparently, Mr. Potter must think that everything will be fine after healing from a severe fever in one night in a way that no possible human is capable of managing. Mr. Potter must foolishly believe that he should not stay in the Infirmary after his too-quick recovery even though there’s a high chance he might relapse. Mr. Potter must think himself invincible.”

Ron took one look at the furious expression on Madame Pomfrey’s face, thought of his mother, and came to an immediate conclusion. Grabbing Hermione’s hand, he ran out of the Infirmary, shouting over his shoulder. “Don’t worry, we’ll bring him back!”

The redhead raced through the corridors to Gryffindor Tower, pulling an indignant Hermione along, barely pausing to gasp out the password, rushing through the common room and up to the Fifth Year boy’s dormitory.

“Ron!” wheezed Hermione, panting from the run. “What in the world has gotten into you?”

The youngest Weasley male walked over to Harry’s trunk, opened it, and immediately began to rummage for the parchment he knew the other boy always kept at the bottom.

“We’re going to find Harry and drag him back to the Infirmary as soon as possible before Pomfrey blows a fuse,” Ron said absently, carelessly shoving away the ragged hand-me-downs of Harry.

“Was there any reason we had to run like maniacs all the way here?” Hermione said crossly, folding her arms and walking towards the redhead.

Ron paused in his search, stared at Hermione, then shook his head as he realized how futile it would be to explain to her that angry women were generally something guys tended to avoid like the plague. Looking back down, he grinned as he caught sight of a piece of ragged parchment peeking out. Tugging it out, he triumphantly held it out to the brunette, who rolled her eyes.

“Well, _obviously._ Why else would you be messing up Harry’s trunk even more?” she sniffed and he looked ruefully at Harry’s scattered materials.

“Yeah…well…” he mumbled, bringing out his wand. “I solemnly swear I am up to no good.”

Tapping the parchment, he watched as ink began to spread out on the yellowed parchment, the Marauder’s Map showing all of Hogwarts and the people occupying it. Shoving his hand in his pocket, he looked for the dot with a certain name next to it. A grin flashed on his face as he saw **Potter** next to the lake but it quickly faded as he read the rest of the name, a puzzled look appearing on his face.

“What the hell?” he muttered, staring and blinking at the dot.

“What’s the matter? Is he not on there?” Hermione asked anxiously, coming to stand at Ron’s side. She glanced at the confused redhead, then down at the map.

She blinked as he wordlessly pointed at a dot, blinking again as she read it.

**Qye/Harry Potter.**

They both blinked at the dot for a moment, then slowly turned confused eyes to each other.

“What do you suppose that means?” Ron finally asked, glancing at the map, his blue eyes puzzled still. “Maybe…maybe the map’s malfunctioning?”

“I don’t know…” Hermione responded uneasily, her brown eyes also looking confusedly at the map. “It never has before…”

They stood in silence, both looking at the dot still by the lake. Then Ron snapped the map shut.

“I don’t know what’s going on,” Ron said quietly, his troubled blue eyes meeting Hermione’s own. “But why don’t we go find out?”

Nodding, they hastily made their way down and out of the Tower, confused looks in their eyes.

Something was going on with Harry.

\-------

In another part of the castle, Marylin closed the door to her classroom and turned around to face her brother, linking arms with him.

“So, what do you think?” she asked him, her sky blue eyes looking up at him curiously.

“I think your idea is completely insane,” Lest said dryly. “But I’ll do it. It’ll be an interesting way to see if you managed to make these children unafraid of us.”

“As I recall, you’re only three years older than the eldest ones here, Lest,” Marylin snorted and smirked when her brother scowled at her. “Besides, I don’t think you’re such a grand choice to see if they’re still afraid or no. Hélène, Lest, they squeak every time you look at them. Ever think of perhaps not looking or acting so much like Dracula?”

“It’s not my fault these students of yours are so easily frightened,” the Opacre male said disdainfully. “Maybe you should teach them to have a little backbone.”

Marylin rolled her eyes. They walked in silence, Lest looking at the paintings with a diffident look and Marylin looking down at the ground. Biting her lip, she glanced at her younger brother.

“You know,” she started hesitantly, Lest turning his eyes back to her, “Harry and his friends didn’t seem too frightened by you.”

Something flashed in Lest’s eyes, too quick for her to identify and he turned his eyes back to the paintings. “He’s a foolish child if he doesn’t and his friends as well if they follow him,” Lest said coldly, his stance tensing. “I imagine Malfoy has been spreading stories to them and anyone who will listen by now.”

“Harry’s too good of a child,” she sniffed. “Draco might be telling him things but I doubt he’ll be set against you by his words alone. From what I’ve seen, Harry doesn’t care much for rumors or reputations.” She was silent and then continued in a quiet voice. “I never wondered why. Suppose it kind of makes sense now…”

Lest said nothing and Marylin probed a bit more. “Do you believe what he said? What Dumbledore said about Harry?”

“It’s backed up by what happened yesterday,” Lest said emotionlessly, his eyes still not meeting hers. “And it explains why he seems so important to everyone here.” He gave a sudden harsh laugh. “Figures. I’m not surprised.”

Marylin looked curiously at him but he didn’t say anymore. Sighing, she looked down and thought about the conversation they had with Dumbledore yesterday.

~~~~~

_“I imagine you have some questions,” Dumbledore said calmly after they had settled down in his office. Lest lounged in one of the chairs, his legs stretched out in front of him, elbow propped up on the chair arm, chin resting on his fist, eyes half-closed. On any other man or vampire, it would seem like he was relaxing._

_On him, it was on the edge of his infamous icy fury._

_“Some come to mind, Dumbledore,” the Opacre head said in his silky voice, causing Marylin to shiver. “Is there something you’re neglecting to mention to us? Something important perhaps?”_

_“I apologize if you think that, Lest,” Dumbledore said quietly and Marylin winced at the flash of irritation in her brother’s eyes on the use of his nominten. Nominten – a vampire’s common name – was a privilege in the vampire society, one used between people who knew and respected each other fairly well, between close friends, between family._

_Fortunately, Lest hated his apenominten – his full, true name, Lestat, from the Muggle Rice’s novels – and she sighed in relief as the annoyance faded from his eyes. She would’ve hated to explain to a school of wizards why their Headmaster had suddenly gone missing._

_“Before you ask your questions however,” Dumbledore continued, his blue eyes solemn, “Allow me to explain some things first.” He turned his eyes to Marylin, who blinked. “I assume you have already heard about Mr. Potter’s past.”_

_“Past?” she echoed in confusion. Dumbledore’s brow furrowed._

_“You do not know of Harry Potter’s…history?”_

_Marylin exchanged looks with her brother, her confused cerulean eyes meeting his narrowed dark sapphires. “What history?” she asked slowly, turning her eyes back to the Headmaster._

_Dumbledore frowned momentarily. “That is odd. I would’ve thought you would have heard something in your months here.”_

_“I’m not much for gossip anymore,” she said, shrugging._

_“What does school gossip have to do with anything?” Lest interrupted harshly, his ice-chip eyes meeting Dumbledore’s calm ones, the frown gone from his face._

_“I apologize once more but I thought your sister might have learned some things of Harry and I only wished to disabuse her of any misconceptions. But since she has not…” The wizard was silent for a moment. “I’m surprised by how close you two have become without you learning anything of Harry.”_

_Marylin’s eyes widened. “How…how did you know?”_

_“I keep my eyes on Mr. Potter,” Dumbledore said quietly._

_The woman furrowed her brows, eyes still confused. “Why - ?”_

_“Dumbledore,” Lest broke in harshly, straightening up in his chair, his dark blue eyes flashing. “I don’t like sly and subtle talks quite that much so if you could just drop this little mysterious, omniscient air you’re trying for and get to the point. I don’t have time or patience for these stupid games.”_

_“I apologize once more, Lest,” Dumbledore said calmly._

_“That’s all you seem to be doing, wizard,” Lest replied coldly._

_“Lest!” Marylin gasped, her eyes looking reproachfully at her brother but he paid her no heed, his icy eyes looking at Dumbledore._

_The old wizard and young vampire looked at each other, one calm, the other cold. It was Dumbledore who broke the tense silence._

_“You know of a wizard by the name of Lord Voldemort, do you not?” Dumbledore asked quietly._

_“I’m aware of him, yes,” Lest said stiffly, eyes narrowed._

_“Do you know that it was only last year that he rose again after his downfall fourteen years ago?” Dumbledore asked softly._

_Lest eyed the wizard, angry tension falling from his shoulders as he leaned back in his chair. “I know mostly of his power and ideals,” the blond said warily. “But little of his actual history.” His eyes narrowed further. “Why?”_

_“Fourteen years ago, at barely the age of one, Harry Potter brought about the downfall of Lord Voldemort at the cost of both his parents,” said Dumbledore, his voice calm and quiet._

_The vampires froze, their blue eyes staring at the wizard._

_“Allow me to tell all of the story before you ask your questions,” Dumbledore continued, voice still quiet. “There is much of it to tell.”_

_They stared at him as he spoke quietly of how Voldemort, the most feared wizard in the wizarding community, went to the Potter’s house on Halloween when Harry was barely a year old, killing Harry’s father and mother but losing his powers after attacking the infant, reducing himself and the house to nothing, leaving the babe with a lightning bolt scar on his forehead as the only memento of the night._

_They stared as he spoke of leaving the baby with his relatives, the only protection the child had. They stared at him as he spoke of finding out that Harry knew nothing of his history, of being the Boy-Who-Lived, a hero in the wizarding world and had instead been neglected throughout childhood._

_They stared as Dumbledore spoke of how the shy, young child had been brought into a new world, already known before he was known. They stared as the wizard spoke of how Harry had faced Voldemort and prevented him rising to power in his first year with help of his friends. They stared as Dumbledore told them of Harry being persecuted in his second year when it became known he was a Parselmouth and then worshipped as he defeated the memory of Tom Riddle in the Chamber of Secrets. They stared as he spoke of Harry’s third year, confronted by dementors who had an ill effect on him because of a past he couldn’t remember and being hunted by Sirius Black, Harry’s own godfather. They stared as Dumbledore finished with the Triwizard Tournament, a game that Harry had been set up to enter so Voldemort could rise to power, which he did with the help of Harry’s own blood. They stared as they heard of how Harry had to watch a fellow student be murdered in front of his eyes simply because he had followed Harry and how Harry had to duel with a newly risen Voldemort, barely escaping with the student’s body and his life._

_They stared as they heard how Harry’s life had been worshipped, sneered at, ridiculed, made public, praised and influenced by the wizarding world before they knew him, how he had to deal with it all with only his small group of close friends, including Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley, adopted by the Weasleys, but no real family of his own._

_Neither Lest nor Marylin missed the bitterness or sadness in Dumbledore’s voice._

_Neither Dumbledore nor Marylin saw the dangerous light in Lest’s eyes._

_“Harry has been hurt by many people in his life,” the Headmaster said, wearied by reciting the young boy’s life. “The Secret-Keeper of his parents, Quirrel in his first year, his own relatives, the impostor Moody, the press…” He looked at the pale face of Marylin, whose blue eyes were filled with horror and tears and disbelief. “I imagine he was wary of you in the beginning but he appears to trust you now.” His eyes hardened momentarily, leaving an impression that she had best not abuse it._

_The two vampires were silent for a few moments, disbelief shared in their blue eyes, as well as sorrow and horror for the green-eyed boy._

_“Why are you telling us all this?” Lest asked finally, his voice surprisingly soft, his eyes downcast._

_“You wished to know the reason of Harry’s attack, did you not? On the night Voldemort attacked the Potters, I believe he unintentionally left Harry a link with him in the form of that scar on his forehead. Through it, he gave Harry his ability speaking with snakes and through it, Harry can feel when he is close by, as well as receive some type of vision from Voldemort.” He paused, then continued quietly. “I think you can tell they are not pleasant.”_

_“Why did you just not tell us that? Why tell us all of his history?” Lest asked, raising his eyes from the floor and narrowing them. “Are you trying to elicit some extreme sympathy from us so we’ll help you in your little fight with Voldemort for a poor little child? Don’t be such a fool as to think I’ll be moved by some sob story, Dumbledore, I’ve heard plenty others from my own.”_

_“You are already going to help us fight him, Lestat,” Dumbledore said calmly, ignoring the curling of the young man's lip. “You and I both heard what Mr. Potter said about the Dazains allying themselves with Voldemort. Don’t think I do not know that you have just finished a war with them.” Lest’s eyes narrowed further. “You were unsurprised to hear of them with Voldemort, suggesting you already knew beforehand that they were perhaps going to ally themselves with him. I imagine that when I sent my request, you agreed merely to keep an ear out and perhaps gain some additional help.”_

_Lest eyed the wizard, a reluctant light of respect entering his eyes. “I’m impressed, Dumbledore. Perhaps you are not the fool I took you to be.” The Headmaster simply smiled._

_“But…if you knew that…” whispered Marylin suddenly, causing both men to look at her sorrowful face, tears coursing down her pale face, “Why did you have to tell us all that?”_

_Her brother raised an eyebrow and turned his face once again to the serious Dumbledore._

_“I said it because I’ve seen how you look at him,” Dumbledore replied steadily. Lest and Marylin both gave him startled looks and he smiled without humor. “I told you, I have my eyes on him.” Dumbledore’s face hardened slightly._

_“You said not to play games and so I won’t, Lest. I won’t lie and say Harry Potter is just another student because we know he isn’t.” A flash of bitterness went through the elderly blue eyes. “Harry Potter is a key figure in the defeat of Voldemort and I must and will do to the best of my ability and power to protect and guide him.”_

_Lest barked a humorless laugh, his eyes suddenly freezing. “Just another pawn in your war, is he, Dumbledore?”_

_“It is his destiny to defeat him,” Dumbledore said quietly. Lest sneered, his eyes flashing._

_Marylin looked down at her hands, trembling slightly as she thought of the kind-hearted Gryffindor whom she had just realized she knew nothing about. She thought about his bright green eyes, eyes that she had seen look older than their years but still retained that inherent innocence she would not believe possible in anyone else._

_‘How is it possible?’ she thought, a small tear escaping her as she thought of the gentle boy. ‘How is it possible that he has lived through all this death and horror and still remained so pure?’_

_The three were silent, each lost in their own thoughts of the dark-haired boy. Marylin looked up as she heard Lest sigh and stand up. He ran a hand through his hair, pacing slowly in the wizard’s office with Dumbledore and his sister looking at his dispassionate face and hard eyes. He stopped in front of one of the portraits of a previous headmaster, crossing his arms, eyes lost in thought._

_‘What’s he thinking?’ Marylin wondered dully, her hands in her lap and eyes on her brother. ‘Is he reconsidering our involvement with wizards?’ The blonde woman bit her lip. She liked being involved with these beings, was interested in their ways, found them pleasant and enjoyable. But if Lest chose to close relations, she would have to leave it all. Lest Opacre was the European Pater Nosferatu and the vampires of the Old World followed his choices._

_No decision was insignificant – or easy – for him._

_“I do not know what you are thinking, Pater Nosferatu,” Dumbledore said quietly, his eyes upon the silent vampire. “But I hope these revelations will not affect our alliance. Harry Potter is not an ordinary child and I hope you will accept his role.”_

_Marylin thought she saw a brief flash of a twisted, ironic smile come upon Lest’s face._

_“I have no issues with Harry Potter, Dumbledore,” Lest said humorlessly, not turning around. “You misunderstand me but it is not your fault. There are…things…that you do not know and cannot even comprehend.” He was silent. “You can’t possibly begin to understand…” he whispered._

_Lest turned his head over his shoulder and looked at the still calm Headmaster, his eyes dark and mysterious._

_“You were wrong about something,” Lest murmured, turning to face the old wizard fully. “Our relationship has changed greatly.” He smiled bitterly. “I’m afraid we will be dealing with one another for quite a while, Dumbledore.”_

_The Headmaster said nothing, his blue eyes looking thoughtfully at the younger man. Lest continued to look at him for a moment, then turned and walked to the door. Marylin rose silently to follow him, her head bent. She stopped when Lest paused at the door, his back to both of them so they could not see his face._

_“Just to make it clear, if you did not understand, Dumbledore,” Lest said quietly, his voice suddenly hard and cold. “I will make sure that the vampires of Europe assist you to the best of their ability.” Marylin saw his hand clench around the doorknob. “This Voldemort will find out exactly why the Dazains were the ones who lost,” he whispered, his voice dark and low. “And he will regret much before I’m done with him.”_

_Then he opened the door and stalked out._

~~~~~

“Thinking about it?”

Marylin was brought back from her own thoughts by Lest’s quiet voice. Looking up, she saw him looking straight ahead, his cool face revealing nothing. Marylin nodded, lowering her eyes once more.

“You’ve seemed to taken a vendetta against Voldemort,” Marylin said after a moment, chancing another look at her brother. He stiffened slightly and she pressed further. “Do you really think the others will approve of involvement in another war, particularly with wizards?”

“They’ll do what I tell them to do,” Lest said coldly.

“Without reason?” Marylin said, a bit incredulously.

“Is the end of the Dazains and a chance to fight wizards not reason enough?” Lest asked, raising a cool eyebrow.

“Not for another war, it’s not,” Marylin shot back.

“There are other reasons as well,” Lest said, turning his eyes away suddenly. “Once I tell them, they’ll understand.”

Marylin narrowed her eyes at him, blue eyes looking searchingly at his averted eyes. “And what reasons are those, exactly, Lest?”

His back stiffened more and he remained silent, his face closed off. Swallowing, Marylin probed further, half-hoping and half-dreading the answer.

“Lest…what - ”

Two figures suddenly came around the corner they were passing, both crashing into her brother. Lest stumbled into Marylin, causing her to yelp and stagger, barely managing to stop her fall. Lest’s war-trained reflexes kicked in immediately, shoving the two figures away with one hand, reaching for his Gemmus with the other, teeth bared. Marylin automatically took her stance next to him, her own hand flying to her Gemmae –

\- only to stop as she was met with Ron and Hermione’s pale and frightened faces.

“Mr. Weasley?” she gasped, her eyes widening and hand falling to her side. “Ms. Granger?”

“Professor Opacre,” they said timidly, their eyes wide.

Glancing at her brother, she clicked her tongue in exasperation as she saw the reason for their terror. Lest had lowered his hand as well but the fiercely burning look he was giving them was far from comforting.

“Lest, stop that,” she scolded. “You’re frightening them.”

Her brother turned his furious look to her. “Your students are foolish,” he hissed at her, his eyes flashing. “I almost killed them! Why have you not taught them to be more careful?!”

“Never had a need before you came,” she mumbled and he shot her a dirty and unamused look. Refraining from rolling her eyes, she turned a stern look to the two uneasy Gryffindors. “Now, is there a reason why you two are rushing through the corridors without looking where you are going?”

“We’re sorry,” Hermione said nervously, a small blush on her cheeks. “We were just going to find Harry - ” She cut off when the redhead gave her a non-too-subtle shove. The brunette looked at him in confusion and he shot her a warning look.

Marylin raised an eyebrow but before she could comment, what the girl said hit her.

“Harry?” she said, startled. “Isn’t he supposed to be in the Infirmary?”

“He is,” Ron muttered. “But the moron escaped after lunch and now Pomfrey’s on the rampage.” He shook his head and said mournfully, “That boy has a lot to learn about women.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Hermione snapped, rounding on the redhead and narrowing her eyes.

“Nothing, 'Mione,” he replied automatically. Marylin smothered her smile and saw Lest look sympathetically at the boy for a moment before his face returned to its usual detached expression. Marylin sighed and turned back to the teenagers.

“Would you mind if we tagged along?” she asked, ignoring her brother’s startled look. They blinked at her and she smiled. “I just want to make sure he’s okay and all.” She winked at them. “After all, I can’t lose one of my best students.”

“I suppose that would be okay,” Hermione said hesitantly. “Harry’s by the lake and I guess he wouldn’t mind - ”

“How do you know?” Lest cut in coolly, raising an eyebrow. Hermione jumped and pressed close to the redhead, causing the top of the Weasley boy’s ears to turn red.

“S…sorry?” she stammered, her brown eyes wide. Lest made a little noise in his throat.

“How do you know he’s by the lake if you were not with him when he left the Infirmary?” Lest asked coolly, raising an eyebrow. “I, of course, assume you weren’t with him since I doubt you would have let him leave. So, how do you know?”

“We…we…um…we…”

“We saw him from the Gryffindor Tower,” Ron interrupted suddenly. Marylin blinked and looked at him, blinking again when she saw the wary look he was giving her brother, who narrowed his own eyes at the younger boy. “We saw him walking there and were running because we didn’t want to miss him.” Hermione stared at him.

“Hm.” Lest looked hard at the redhead who, to his credit, didn’t back down. Lest smirked slightly. “Well,” her brother said, turning and beginning to walk, “we better get a move on. We don’t want to miss him, now do we?”

The teenagers shared a look before following him and Marylin raised an eyebrow as she walked behind.

\-------

“He should be around here somewhere,” Hermione said absently, looking around.

They had reached the lake only to find no sign of Harry. Marylin looked around and then caught sight of Ron, shifting around uncomfortably, fingering something in his pocket. She raised an eyebrow when she saw him shoot a furtive look to Hermione. The bushy-haired girl nodded slightly and then turned to her and Lest.

“Um…I’m sure he’s around here somewhere,” the girl said nervously. She turned her brown eyes to Lest and Marylin bit back an amused smile when a small blush came onto her face.

“Um…Mr…Mr. Opacre,” Hermione said awkwardly and Marylin choked when she saw Lest twitch. She coughed frantically when her younger brother shot her an irritated look.

“Did you not clarify that stupid age myth about us?” he hissed at her, narrowing his eyes.

She nodded and coughed, feeling like she was going to suffocate from holding back her laughter. Turning to Hermione, she felt a pang of pity at the confused look on her face.

“Sorry. My brother doesn’t exactly…um…like being called…” she snorted and Lest glared at her. “Mister,” she finished, her voice strangled and eyes bright. Lest growled and Marylin couldn’t repress a helpless giggle.

“I don’t think I’m ready to be…dignified…with a ‘Mister’ quite yet,” Lest said stiffly. He growled suddenly. “For Hélène’s sake, do I look _that_ old?”

Marylin giggled again. Lest glared at her.

“Um…okay,” Hermione said, still looking confused. “Um…so…what should we call you?”

“Lest,” her brother said shortly and Marylin’s smile evaporated as she blinked, surprised, at her brother.

‘ _He’s allowing them to call him by his nominten?_ ’ she thought incredulously, staring at him.

She suddenly heard a sudden growl and turned to the forgotten boy who was looking around the area, frustration evident on his face.

“I don’t get it…is he wearing his Cloak?” he muttered to himself. Marylin tilted her head.

“Beg your pardon, Mr. Weasley?” she asked curiously and he jumped.

“Um…Harry…he…he should be here…” Ron stammered out.

“The boy probably left,” Lest said coolly, turning away and beginning to walk away. “There’s no reason he should be here.” As he began to walk past a tree, he turned his head over a shoulder, drawling, “Perhaps we’ll catch him if we - ”

An acorn fell from the tree and smacked him in the forehead.

Lest stopped and stared down.

Marylin bit her lip to keep from laughing. Ron and Hermione blinked in unison before looking uneasily at the startled vampire.

“Brother dear,” Marylin said amusedly, her blue eyes dancing, “You’re not going to obliterate that poor tree now, are you?”

Lest shot an annoyed look at his sister before focusing his attention back to the offending acorn. He stared at it for a few moments and then abruptly turned thoughtful eyes to the tree.

“You know,” Ron interrupted suddenly, causing the two women to look at him but unable to draw the attention of the silent male. “Maybe he’s right. About Harry leaving before we got here. We should go, really. I mean, he’s sick and all and Pomfrey’s ready to blow a gasket and Mum will have my head if I didn’t make him take care of himself and we really should be going and – ”

He stopped babbling when he saw the two staring at him and Marylin raised an eyebrow as the tips of his ears turned red.

“But Ron,” Hermione said, a puzzled look on her face. “You said - ”

“I was wrong,” the redhead interrupted her and Marylin watched as he shot the brunette a look. “Besides, you know Harry. He’s always doing **rash** and **stupid** things.” He stared at her even more.

Marylin raised her eyebrow even more. ‘ _Funny_ ,’ she thought idly, ‘ _That’s what I would’ve said about him._ ’ From the looks of it, Hermione thought the same.

“Ron, what in the world are you talking about?” Hermione frowned, glancing at Marylin with confusion in her eyes. “Harry never - ” She stopped suddenly as she stared at Lest.

She squeaked.

Marylin blinked as she suddenly found her arms held by the two Gryffindors.

“Ron’s right, Harry’s probably back at the Tower right now,” Hermione said in a too-bright tone, tugging the older woman away from the lake. “We should really go back, the longer he’s away from the Infirmary, the sicker he’ll get, so shouldn’t we really go?”

Marylin blinked as the two teenagers pulled her arms insistently, baffled by their sudden turn of mood. She glanced at her brother, who still hadn’t turned to them. ‘ _What has gotten into these two?’_

“Well…” she said, blinking. “I suppose, if that’s what you want to do…but I thought you were positive about him being here?”

“Oh, you can’t trust Ron with these things, he generally always turns out wrong,” Hermione said cheerfully, still pulling at Marylin’s arm. “He’s so stubborn about every thing, he doesn’t take into consideration that Harry might have moved.”

“Hey,” Ron interrupted, pausing in his actions and indignantly glowering at the girl. “What’s that supposed to -”

“Lest, aren’t you coming?” Hermione interrupted the other Gryffindor, turning her bright smile to the silent vampire. “It’ll be getting dark soon and I’m sure dinner’s going to start, maybe Harry’s already there - ”

“Or maybe he’s in the tree and the reason you want to leave so anxiously is because he threw that acorn at me,” Lest cut in smoothly.

The two teenagers froze.

Marylin frowned at her brother. “Lest, don’t be so rude. Why would Harry throw something at you?”

Lest finally turned his eyes away from the tree and shrugged slightly. Casually placing his hands in his pockets, he turned away from the tree and began to walk away.

“You’re right,” he murmured and the Gryffindors gave off silent sighs of relief. “The boy seems too shy to do anything of the sort, possibly afraid of me. He would never - ”

Another acorn came flying down from the tree, going straight for Lest’s head.

Marylin jerked when Lest whirled around and caught the nut barely an inch away from his face. Ron and Hermione gaped.

“Then again…” he said softly, his dark sapphire eyes gleaming. The next instant, in half a blink, he snapped his arm back and hurled the acorn into the hidden branches of the tree.

The tree yelped.

Marylin, Ron and Hermione stared as they saw something tumble down from the branches…

…and gasped as the dark-haired, green-eyed boy fell, crashing into the blond vampire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Watch out for falling acorns and Qyes. So dangerous.


	18. Hello Again

_‘Stupid, irritating, gods-damned, aggravating, arrogant little brat…’_

_Thirteen-year-old Lest Opacre walked out of his house, an annoyed look on his face and murderous thoughts in his mind._

_He had finally managed to bring Qye back to his house once again and what happened? Myn had swept the boy away, kicking and cursing, up to her room to play with her “dollie.” And what happened when Lest had bravely summed up his courage (it really didn’t matter that it took almost half an hour to sum it up) to save his friend from her torturous…er…unwelcome hands? The brat had already escaped and Lest had barely managed to escape with his life…er…dignity._

_And so here he was, standing just outside of the maze and scowling darkly at the entrance._

_He had already searched the library (the obvious first place to look), the gardens, the bedrooms, the kitchen and even the attic. Of course, all of it was naturally in vain as it seemed to be Qye’s purpose in life to frustrate and aggravate him again and again, knowingly and unknowingly._

_“Damn you, Qye,” he mumbled to himself, irritably looking at the looming maze. The blasted thing was huge, with twists and turns and dead ends everywhere. He **really** didn’t want to go in there._

_“Wait until I get my hands on you, you little brat,” he growled, his eyes flashing in frustration. “By the time I’m done with you, you’ll be wishing you stayed with Myn.”_

_Letting out a resigned sigh, he hung his head and took a step forward…_

_…and stopped as an acorn fell on his shoulder._

_Wincing, he rubbed his shoulder and glowered at the semais tree, one of the few magical ones on the property. ‘Stupid tree,’ he thought irritably, rubbing his now sore shoulder. ‘I swear to Hélène, it’s out to get me.’_

_Sighing once more, he looked gloomily at the maze. Maybe that acorn was a sign telling him to just leave the annoying brat there to his fate._

_Another acorn fell from the tree, hitting him in the other shoulder. He winced again and moved from the tree, giving it another glare, his eyes narrowed, a light of slight suspicion entering them. ‘Alright, that damned thing has hit me twice now, I’ll be damned if I let it do it again.’ He shot a look at the dark maze. ‘Well, burn me if I ignore a sign telling me not to do something I don’t want to do.’ Shaking his head, he turned away from the maze –_

_\- and stilled as another acorn hit him on the neck._

_Lest’s eyes narrowed._

_The young vampire closed his eyes and took a deep breath._

_When he turned casually around, his face was calm and it was with an idle air that he picked up the offending object. Toying with it for a while, he gave the maze a mildly curious look for a few moments._

_And then he pitched the acorn straight from where it came from._

_A low thunk reached Lest’s ears as he heard the acorn collide with the trunk of the tree. Lest smiled as he heard a small squeak a moment after, followed by the rustling of branches._

_His smile faded as he saw the younger boy tumbling down instead of climbing._

_Panic seized him when he saw how high the branches were._

_Not even pausing to think, the young vampire rushed forward and barely managed to get under the younger boy as he fell from the last branch. Grunting as the small, thin body fell into his arms and collided with his chest, he stumbled backwards a few steps and fell with the boy landing on top of him._

_Qye growled softly._

_The two lay there for a few moments, dazed by the fall._

_Lest scowled menacingly at the annoying little birds and stars floating around his head. Closing his eyes, he shook his head lightly, groaning softly at the promising pain in his back. He opened his eyes when he heard a similar groan come from on top of him. Blinking, he raised his head slightly to look at the boy sprawled on top of him, his legs intertwined with Lest’s, arms lying on either side of the vampire, and head nestled in the crook of the older boy’s neck._

_“Good gods, Lest,” a female voice came above them. “What **are** you doing with our dear Qye?”_

_The blond boy blinked and looked up to see Myn’s upside down bemused face goggling down at them. Blinking again, he looked back at the softly groaning form of Qye lying on him._

_“It’s not my fault,” he said defensively, raising himself up slowly to his elbows, and trying to push away the rising guilt. “He was throwing acorns at me from that damned tree, you can’t expect me to take that lying down. How was I supposed to know he’d fall out if I retaliated?”_

_Myn shook her head and sighed in exasperation. “Stupid Lestie,” she murmured and Lest glowered at her to no avail as she ignored him and turned worried blue eyes onto the smaller boy._

_“Qye-dollie, you okay? Did big bad Lest do something? Do I need to punish bad Lestie? Maybe with one of those new dresses I got from the States?”_

_“That’d be nice,” Qye mumbled against Lest’s neck, where his head still rested._

_Lest scowled at his sister. “Shut up, Myn,” he snapped. Myn just smiled innocently at him and Lest glared at her more. Letting out an irritated breath, Lest turned his eyes back to the boy lying on top of him. The annoyance faded from his sapphire eyes and he raised a hand to concernedly touch the younger boy’s shoulder. “Qye, you okay? Are you hurt?”_

_The boy didn’t say anything and worry grew in Lest’s eyes._

_Lest blinked when small, thin arms slowly slid up, elbows bending, hands being placed on his shoulder. He blinked again when the small dark-haired head lifted itself from his neck, calm dark green eyes locking onto his own confused, dark blue eyes. A small pale hand lifted up from his shoulder, long slim fingers curling –_

_\- and flicked his nose._

_Lest sneezed._

_Qye quirked an eyebrow._

~~~~~~ 

He was lying on something. Something warm and soft and…moving? Oh…it was groaning too.

Opening his eyes slowly, Qye blinked as he found himself staring at what appeared to be a smooth pale expanse of skin. ‘ _Oh_ ,’ he thought dimly, staring at the pale skin. ‘ _It's a neck. Whose neck?’_

Then he barely bit back a yelp as the memories came back to him.

He had been sitting in the tree, content with his peace and quiet when he heard voices approaching. Concealing himself further within the branches, he had turned his eyes to see Weasley and Granger coming towards the tree with Myn and…

…Lest.

As even more memories flooded back to him, he mentally cursed the damned vampire he was lying on top of. Before he could stop himself, forgetting to do what he normally did and pause and think of the consequences, Qye found himself lifting up slowly, raising his head, full of annoyance.

The tree had been _comfortable_ , the bark smooth and cool against the clothes he wore and he could have happily stayed there for the rest of the day, perhaps for as long as he was in Harry’s body. But no, _damn it_ , stupid Lest had to come _strolling_ along, acting like his typical irritating superior self, arrogant and full of himself like always, easily destroying the peaceful feeling surrounding the tree. The only seemingly possible way to pop Lest’s infuriating ego was to throw something at him and Qye only regretted the acorn wasn’t larger.

Scowling, Qye remembered the stupid acorn flung back at him, remembered it hitting the tree barely an inch away from his face, remembered being startled and losing his balance, remembered falling out of the tree, his last lone thought being ‘ _Crap!_ ’

‘ _Stupid Lest_ ,’ he raged silently, glaring furiously down at the vampire’s face, whose eyes were closed. ‘ _Gods **damn** it, always ruining things, when I’m through with him, I’m going to - ’_

His irritation fled as Lest opened his eyes and looked at him.

Qye froze.

Time froze.

Dark blue eyes he hadn’t seen in what seemed to be ages looked into his own, framed in that same pale, aristocratic face he had once glared and smiled at.

Qye’s annoyance faded from his face as he found his eyes wandering over the familiar unfamiliar face, his eyes tracing over the high, smooth cheeks, the locks of dusty blond hair, tousled and lying simply against the pale skin. He turned his eyes back into ones he once knew so well, knew when they were angry, happy, sad, content, tired, mischievous, sleepy, irritated, amused, resigned, caring…

His heart clenched and throat tightened when he encountered that cool, distant expression he had never seen before.

Reality slammed into him.

Lest wasn’t looking at him. Lest was looking at a fifteen year old wizarding boy, staring at him with a strange look on his face. Lest didn’t see him…didn’t see his young best friend…didn’t see…

Qye felt numb.

The vampire raised an eyebrow as the boy’s face closed off.

“Are you alright?” Lest asked carefully.

Qye blinked down at the vampire, drawn back from his thoughts.

Then he scowled as he once again remembered how the situation came to be. Dark blue eyes followed his hand as he slowly raised it off the other’s shoulder, brow furrowing as fingers bent…

…and flicked his nose.

Lest’s eyes widened in shock as he sneezed.

“Harry!” someone behind them choked, aghast.

Qye glanced behind them to see Granger looking at him with a horrified look, Weasley goggling at him and Myn staring wide-eyed at him.

‘ _Shit, I forgot they were there_ ,’ he thought, slightly irritated. ‘ _What the hell am I going to do now?’_

The decision was taken out of his hands when an annoyed voice from below him said, “May I ask as to **why** you deemed it necessary to do that?”

Annoyance flared back in his eyes and he turned back down to glower at the vampire. Before he could stop himself, he growled at the vampire.

“You stupid, ill-brained, thick-headed _jerk_!” he snapped.

Lest’s mouth fell open.

“You almost killed me, you dimwit! Did you ever stop to think with that peanut-sized lump of wood in your head that’s a mockery of a brain, you arse?! I swear, what the _hell_ were you thinking, you -”

“Excuse me,” interrupted Lest stiffly, the surprise gone from his eyes, pushed aside by the annoyance that now filled them. “But as I recall, _you_ were the one throwing things at me in the first place. You’re lucky I decided to catch you and not just let you fall to the ground like you deserved.”

Dark green eyes narrowed. “Well, if you hadn’t been acting all high and mighty, I wouldn’t have had to throw things at you, now would I?”

Dark blue eyes flashed. “Well, if you hadn’t been acting so immature - ”

“May I interrupt?” came Myn’s faint, strangled voice from behind them. Both of them blinked, the annoyance vanishing from their eyes.

Then blood rushed to their faces as they realized they hadn’t moved from how they’d fallen.

Qye hastily scrambled off Lest while the vampire jerked away, his pale face flushed and a trace of embarrassment in his eyes. The dark-haired boy unsteadily stood up, dusting himself off, his eyes refusing to meet anyone’s as he mentally scolded himself.

‘ _You stupid idiot_ ,’ he growled silently to himself. ‘ _You’re supposed to be acting like Harry and you’re **not** supposed to be interacting with anyone. What the hell were you thinking? Besides, Lest doesn’t even know it’s me._ ’ A flash of pain went through him at the memory of those distant eyes and he swallowed painfully, his anger fading. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the hurt away. ‘ _Don’t start acting unreasonable, it’s beyond your control. It’s not like he’s forgotten, he just doesn’t recognize me, it’s silly and pointless to be acting like this. Now stop acting like a moron and fix the mess you made.’_

Taking another breath, he lifted his eyes calmly to meet the wide-eyed, confused looks of the other three. Lest had his head turned away, his eyes focused on the lake. Qye couldn’t help but glance at him before turning his attention back to the others.

They stared at him, looking like they’d didn’t know him.

‘ _Well…technically that’s right. They **don’t** know me. But they don’t know that. Great_.’ They continued to stare at him. ‘ _Okay, what to do…’_

“Um…hi, guys,” he tried, smiling weakly and attempting to pull off the ‘its-plain-me-nothing-to-worry-about’ look.

They didn’t look too convinced.

“Are…are you feeling okay, Harry?” Granger asked hesitantly, eyes uncertain and confused.

“Fine, just fine G – Hermione,” he caught himself. “Guess I just lost my temper.” He smiled weakly as she continued to stare at him, a slight suspicion in her eyes.

‘ _Don’t slip,’_ he chastised himself. ‘ _You’re Harry now, remember? She’s Hermione, not Granger. He’s Ron -_ ’ he grimaced ‘– _not Weasley. Myn’s Professor and Lest…is Lest_.’ He glanced at the vampire, who still wasn’t looking at any of them, cool and and distant once more.

“Maybe you should go to the Infirmary, mate,” Weasley said, his goldfish expression gone, eyeing him with an odd look. “You don’t exactly seem like yourself.”

Qye’s eyes flickered.

Something was not right. Weasley was looking at him strangely, blue eyes slightly narrowed and an uncertain look in them. Qye barely refrained from frowning at him. ‘ _What’s going on?_ ’ he thought, looking at Weasley from the corner of his eye.

“I’m okay,” he said aloud, a calm look on his face and still faking a smile. “And I just left the Infirmary - ”

“ – and Pomfrey’s throwing a fit,” Weasley finished, the odd look disappearing from his face, replaced by a pained grimace.

“No reason for that, I’m fine,” Qye shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. “She just likes keeping me prisoner, that m - ” He stopped, took a deep breath to stop from saying miserable, old hag, and continued. “That mad woman.”

He winced slightly at the suspicious look growing in Granger’s eyes.

“Either way, mate,” Weasley continued, drawing back Qye’s attention, “You’d better go back and calm her a bit. With all the time you spend there, I don’t think you want her mad at you for the rest of our time here.”

“Be interesting,” he murmured and inwardly groaned as the two Gryffindors blinked. ‘ _I need to learn to shut up…’_

“Look, like you said, I spend enough time in the hospital wing I don’t exactly fancy adding another day to it, especially when I’m fine, so I really don’t need to go,” Qye said, restraining his irritation as much as he could. “It’s not like it’s going to kill me or anything.”

He inwardly cheered as the suspicion vanished from Granger’s eyes…then sighed when he saw the worry flood in.

“Harry, Pomfrey’s right,” the brunette said worriedly. “What happens if your fever comes back and it’s worse? You should at least spend one more day there, just to make you’re really okay.”

“Like she’ll let me go after one day,” Qye muttered under his breath.

“I think Ms. Granger is right, actually,” Myn’s soft voice broke in gently and he blinked, turning his face to her. Her bright, concerned eyes fixed on him and he desperately fought the urge to just drop the act and throw himself at her, harshly reminding himself that she didn’t know it was him, that she was talking to -

“Harry?”

Qye dropped his eyes and turned away. “I’ll go back,” he said quietly, his eyes gazing at the lake. “But after dinner, alright? Kind of want to enjoy my freedom while I can.” He glanced back, a lopsided grin on his face.

Granger gave him a relieved smile and Weasley gave him a sympathetic look. He ignored both, seeing Myn smile at him, to which he smiled back at.

“Then we better be going, shouldn’t we?”

Qye jumped as Lest’s voice came behind him and he whirled around to see the vampire looking coolly at him.

He bit back the snap on the tip of his tongue and fought off the urge to glare while calming down his heart. Stupid vampire.

“Sorry?” he asked politely, looking up at the tall man. Gods, it was such a pain to not act like himself.

…and to not launch himself at Lest and never let go…

Lest raised an eyebrow. “You said after dinner, did you not?” He nodded towards the castle. “It’s starting.”

Qye’s eyebrow twitched. “Oh.”

“Good, that means you can go to the Infirmary soon,” Granger said briskly, her voice suddenly business-like. Qye glowered slightly at her, relieved when she didn’t seem startled by his annoyance.

He flinched when Weasley clapped him on the shoulder, still a sympathetic look in his blue eyes. “Seems like your freedom is going fast, huh?”

“Right.” He stopped himself from sneering.

“Well, come on, I can’t let you lot out on your own after dark,” Myn said cheerfully, clapping her hands softly together and smiling. “I’ll lead you guys up there.”

Qye blinked as he realized how dark it had become. The sun had settled behind the mountains encompassing Hogwarts, a dark violet the only remnants of its light, the combined blue and black of the night sky settling in.

“Harry, you coming?”

Tearing his eyes away from the breathtaking site, Qye forced a smile for a curious Granger, jogging to catch up with the group.

“Are…are you alright?” Hermione asked hesitantly when he fell in beside her.

The dark-haired boy raised an eyebrow. “Haven’t you asked me this before? Didn’t I say I was fine?”

“You just don’t seem like yourself,” Weasley’s voice came from beside him and Qye narrowed his eyes slightly as he turned to the redhead.

Something was not right.

“Why do you keep saying that?” Qye asked quietly, his voice careful and eyes slightly narrowed. Weasley shrugged, shoving his hands into the pockets of his ragged hand-me-down robes.

“Oh, no reason,” the redhead said offhandedly, his blue eyes still watching Qye, flickering oddly. “We can never be too careful, right? I mean, for all we know, you could be somebody else pretending to be our dear Harry, right?” Weasley smiled lightly but his blue eyes were locked on him.

Qye’s heart skipped a beat.

Something was _really_ not right.

“Are you sure you’re not coming down with something, Ron?” Qye replied, raising an eyebrow and forcing a playful grin onto his face. “I mean, really, do you know how ridiculous that sounds?” He forced a slight laugh, making sure that his eyes weren’t narrowed or full of suspicion. They would suspect something if he showed signs of suspecting them. “Really…me not being me. Who else would I be?”

Weasley gazed at him, a thoughtful look in his eyes. Qye tilted his head, making himself wear a curious smile. After a moment, a grin appeared on the redhead’s face, bemused but a grin nevertheless. Laughing slightly, Weasley clapped him on the shoulder again and Qye forced himself not to flinch.

“A midget in glasses,” Weasley grinned, mirth replacing the strange look in his eyes. Qye couldn’t help but scowl at the other boy but fortunately, the idiot seemed to think it was mock-scowl and not real. “Sorry about that, it’s just…” Weasley stopped and shook his head, grinning again. “Never mind, it’s probably nothing.”

Qye raised an eyebrow but Weasley just continued to grin stupidly. ‘ _Hmph_ ,’ the black-haired boy thought, turning away from the redhead and letting his irritation simmer inside. ‘ _The moron was probably just playing around or something. Can’t believe I actually worried about him finally getting something right_.’ He shook his head slightly.

“Are you sure you’re alright, Harry?” Granger asked again quietly and Qye couldn’t resist letting out an exasperated sigh, shooting a look at the girl.

“For the final time, yes, I’m fine,” he sighed, refraining from rolling his eyes. Then a thought came to him and he put on an apologetic face. “Sorry if I’m acting weird or anything, I just felt a little different when I woke up, that’s all.”

He hoped by saying that, it would be able to cover any of his slips throughout the day and he inwardly grinned when he saw Granger take the line, immediately beginning to babble about getting checked up, hallucinations and whatnot.

“Hey, don’t worry,” he interrupted, grinning down at the girl. “I’m sure it’s nothing, probably just need a bit more rest and everything will be alright when I get to the Infirmary, no worries.” He glanced at the silent vampires walking ahead of them and his impulses took hold once more.

Raising his voice slightly, enough to be heard by the two, he said to Granger, “Of course, maybe that _fall_ might’ve addled something. I’ll probably have to be checked up for _injuries_.”

He couldn’t help the slight smile when he saw Lest’s back stiffen, Myn turning her head slightly to blink at him with a puzzled look on her face. He didn’t notice the surprised looks on Granger and Weasley’s faces.

“Was that your attempt at a subtle insult?” the Opacre male said coolly, not even turning around to look at him, leaving Qye slightly disappointed. But determination rose in him as his impulses made him speak once more.

“Not really,” Qye said blandly, forcing any traces of a smile off his face, leaving it calm and collected. “Just an observation. You know,” he said, pausing for a moment to pretend that a thought had come to him, “I think you owe me an apology for causing me to fall out of that tree.”

Lest whirled around and Qye smiled inside as he looked at the irritated expression on the vampire’s face.

“If anything, I think it should be _you_ owing _me_ an apology for throwing that acorn at me,” the vampire growled slightly, his dark blue eyes glowering slightly down at him. “That blasted thing hurt.”

“Lest,” Myn whispered softly, placing a hand on her brother’s arm, her eyes slightly puzzled. Lest ignored it and continued to glower down at the innocent-looking boy.

Qye blinked when he felt Granger lay her own hand on his arm and he looked curiously at her. He blinked when Weasley hissed quietly next to him, voice confused and slightly frightened, “Harry, what in Merlin’s name are you doing?”

Oh…right. He was supposed to be Harry.

He took a deep breath and lowered his eyes, forcing his voice to be quiet. “I apologize for causing you pain.” Granger lowered her hand and Qye raised his eyes to see Lest blink, confusion evident in his eyes. The vampire shook his head slightly and the confusion was gone, hidden behind the cool expression once more.

“Apology accepted,” the Opacre replied coolly. His dark blue eyes flickered. “I…I apologize for making you fall out of the tree.” Myn squeaked, her eyes turning into saucer-sizes.

Qye bit back a grin. “Apology accepted, sir.”

The vampire hissed suddenly, his dark blue eyes flashing. “Lest.”

“Lest, sir,” Qye repeated, innocently looking up at the vampire.

Lest narrowed his eyes. “Brat,” he muttered as he turned around and resumed their way to the Great Hall.

He didn’t see the smile that blossomed onto Qye’s face.

Both didn’t see the confused looks on the other three’s faces.

\-------

“Dinner’s started,” Weasley stated as they reached the Great Hall’s entrance, peering inside.

‘ _No, really?’_ Qye thought sarcastically, barely stopping himself from rolling his eyes. ‘ _What was your first clue, the food on the tables or the students eating?’_ He sighed mentally. ‘ _Gods, by the end of this, I swear I’m going to have an ulcer from not saying these things…’_

“Well, here you are,” Myn said cheerfully, flamboyantly waving an arm at the entrance. “Safe and sound, more or less.” Qye looked innocently at her when she glanced at him, a slightly bemused expression still in her eyes. She shook her head and smiled at the other two Gryffindors. “Make sure he gets to the Infirmary as soon as he finishes and call me if he puts up a fuss.” She grinned suddenly. “Having dealt with Lest with his stubbornness when he was younger, I doubt Harry will be much difficult.” Her brother made a noise in his throat, scowling at his older sister, to which she just smiled sweetly at.

‘ _Lest and me are two **very** different categories, Myn,’_ he thought mentally, smirking inwardly. On the outside, he frowned slightly at the blonde woman. “You realize,” he said nonchalantly, “I’m still here.”

Myn merely grinned at him and patted him on the head. Qye lowered his eyes, torn between glaring at her and slapping her hand away or leaning into the touch. He mentally sighed as she stopped and he looked back up, forcing a smile for her.

“I’ll be seeing you lot,” she said merrily, her light eyes twinkling as she turned and linked arms with her brother, walking towards the table.

His eyes followed the retreating back of his friend, silently urging the vampire to look back once at him, one look and see him, anything, but Lest never turned back, coolly walking towards his place. His heart clenched painfully and he lowered his eyes to the ground.

“Gods, I miss you,” he whispered softly, unknowingly.

“Did you say something, Harry?”

He blinked and lifted his eyes from the floor to meet Granger and Weasley’s curious faces. He forced a smile and shook his head, shoving his hands in his pockets to hide him clenching them painfully.

“No, it was nothing,” he said quietly. Weasley and Granger exchanged looks and Qye cleared his throat, beginning to walk to the four House tables, a forced grin on his face. He didn’t know how he was going to deal with the rest of the Gryffindors but there was no way he could escape and no point in delaying it. “Come on, you guys want to get me back to the Infirmary, don’t -”

Something slammed into his mind.

He cried out and fell to his knees, hands flying to clutch his head.

Something slammed again and he whimpered, shutting his eyes and dropping his head to his knees, his fingers tightening in his hair, desperate to distract himself from the searing pain in his head. In the distance, he heard someone cry out in shock, in fear, and felt a hand fall onto his shoulder, voices shouting, noise elevating, feet pounding on the stony floor, steps growing faint, steps growing loud…

The blow came again and he cried out again, shuddering and shivering and whimpering and hurting and gods it bloody _hurt_ …

The weight on his shoulder disappeared, voices loud above him.

“Harry! Harry!”

“What’s going on?!”

“Is he okay, what’s happening to him?!”

“Merlin, again!?”

“Everyone get away from him, give him some air!”

“Somebody get Professor Dumbledore!”

“Harry, can you hear me?”

‘ _Gods, make it stop_ ,’ he thought, whimpering and curling into himself, curling into a ball, wanting to block everything out, wanting to push everything away, protect himself, get away, get away…

A cool hand pressed against his back.

“Calm down, help is coming,” someone whispered and Qye whimpered, prying his eyes open slightly, whimpering as the blows came faster against his mind, shaking his body with each hit. Another cry was wrenched from his throat as another blow hit him and the cool hand pressed harder against his back slightly, offering comfort, offering protection, offering…

Qye uncurled and flung himself at the person, trembling and whimpering and it hurt, oh gods, it **_hurt_** …

The person froze as he threw himself at them, wrapping his arms around them, shaking and choking with pain, landing in someone’s lap. The voices stopped, there was quiet, peaceful quiet, and his cries and whimpers echoed loudly as the blows came again and again.

Then familiar arms wrapped around him, reassuring, comforting, protective…

Qye raised his tear-bright eyes to see Lest looking quietly down at him.

The hall was silent.

There was another blow coming, he felt it building up slowly, and his heart thudded fearfully as he felt that it would be the last, that it would shatter him, that it would take him away…

A tear slipped down his cheek.

“Lest…” he whispered, looking at the vampire’s face, shaking slightly. Lest looked at him, emotions swirling in those missed dark blue eyes, moving quickly around and Qye held onto him tightly, his dark green eyes flickering, dark and bright, dark and bright, unwilling to leave him once again…

And then the blow came and Qye took one last, long look at Lest as his world faded.


	19. Odd

“Do you think - ”

“Don’t know…puzzling, indeed…”

“…report when he…”

“…think it strange? And he didn’t even…”

“…not in his right mind…agree, though…”

There was heat everywhere. Flames licked at his skin, embers burned beneath his skin and he could feel each drop of sweat roll down feverishly with no offer of respite.

‘ _So hot, so hot,_ ’ he thought fuzzily in the darkness. Voices distant and familiar floated in the scorching obscurity.

“He was fine…thought he - ”

“Regression…told him not to…”

From his parched dry throat a series of painful coughs emerged and the sounds ceased. A soft whimper echoed wherever he was and he realized with muzzled confusion that it came from him. He tried to stop but couldn’t, coughing and whimpering and the boiling water poured from his skin.

He let out a moan of relief when a blessed coolness washed over him.

“Poor boy…too often…”

“Too much…best go…no visitors, yes?”

“…staying this time…”

In the back of his mind, untouched by the fever, he found comfort beyond that of the cooling charm as he rested with the other, two nestled perfectly together, wordless. A soft, gentle touch from a sleeping source, exhausted like him. Sharing sleep. Pain. Comfort.

Qye…

\-------

Sunlight poured in from the window.

Eyes flickered before opening slowly and tiredly. Sleepy jade eyes blinked softly up at the sterilized white ceiling.

Harry coughed.

“Conscious then, dear?”

Blinking again, Harry turned his head to the side and focused tired, fever-bright eyes on the blurred form of Madam Pomfrey.

“What - ” he started hoarsely before he stopped, coughed and licked his dry lips. “Where am I?” he finished in a weak whisper.

The bright white blur came closer and Harry closed his eyes gratefully as a cool hand felt his forehead.

“Well, it seems your fever has finally broken, Mr. Potter,” Pomfrey commented, removing her hand. Harry restrained a sound of loss and opened his eyes in time to see her bring out her wand. “Or, at the least, is on the verge of it. You should recover in a day or two.” She waved her wand over him and the green-eyed boy squinted painfully at the sudden bright light. He thought he saw her mouth tighten and he definitely heard an irritated tone when she next spoke.

“Don’t get any ideas about leaving again, Potter,” she warned. “You’ll not be leaving my sight until I’m positive you’ll not collapse again.” She waved her wand again and Harry gave a small sigh of relief as the pale yellow light blinked out.

“I think you’re well enough for some broth. Best make sure you don’t dehydrate.” The white shape walked away. “I’ll be back in a moment with it. Remember what I said about leaving, I won’t have another escape attempt on my watch, Potter.”

Harry stared as the Head Nurse disappeared. A shine from the bedside table caught his eye and he weakly raised himself up on the pillows. He hesitantly reached for the twinkling light and he sighed in relief as he grasped the familiar feel of his glasses. Pulling them on, he winced at the sudden sharpening of everything before making himself comfortable on the bed to patiently wait for the nurse while casting suffering looks at the sunlight.

After a moment, he thought, ‘ _Again?’_

\-------

‘ _I didn’t even know he slept,’_ Harry thought as he stared out the window of the Infirmary as the late afternoon sunlight glittered on the lake.

Letting out a soft breath, he closed his eyes and leaned back on the bed.

Everything seemed hazy in his mind, clouded and confused with a few blank pieces floating around as well. He didn’t know what happened, couldn’t concentrate enough to think. All he knew was that he was stuck in the Infirmary – again – recovering from an apparently serious fever.

His brow furrowed. He couldn’t remember the last time he had a fever. Maybe when he was a kid but otherwise…

Shaking his head, he focused back to his current problem.

Opening his eyes, he stared dully at the wall opposite of the bed, worry coursing through him. The other boy was still there, still in the back of his mind. He could feel him, feel that familiar close-by presence that always radiated from his mind. But…he was distant. Not distant as he was away, separated from him, but distant in consciousness. The only word that he could apply to what his state of being felt like was sleep.

But Qye had never done that before. Harry furrowed his brows. Well, never when he was awake. Qye had always been alert in his mind whenever he was conscious, sometimes quiet and just watching from behind his eyes and other times relaxed and reading his memories. He never recalled Qye ever feeling like this before.

‘ _Maybe he sleeps when I do,’_ Harry thought absently, glasses back on the bedside drawer and head resting on the pillow. He was curled up on his side, back facing the entrance to his room. ‘ _But why is he still sleeping? He’s never done that before._ ’ He bit his lip and unconsciously clenched his hand around the soft blanket. ‘ _Did_ _something happen? Did my sickness hurt him?’_

Another cough hit his body and he closed his eyes as he covered his mouth with his hand.

Opening his eyes, he stared with a worried gaze at nothing.

‘ _Please…don’t let him be hurt…’_

\-------

It was his second day in the Infirmary and Ron and Hermione had not visited him.

There was something indefinably wrong with this, Harry decided, as he silently watched the nurse walk away with his tray after finishing the check up. Ron and Hermione _always_ came to visit him when he was the Infirmary. Not that he was hurt – well, not much – just confused at their absence.

And bored. Let us not forget bored.

Letting out a frustrated breath, Harry dropped his head back on his pillow and closed his eyes.

He had drifted in and out of consciousness a lot yesterday. Not so much as to worry, he could’ve attended classes if he wished – he had tried to argue this with Pomfrey but all she did was give him a flat look and dose him with more vile-tasting concoctions – but it was probably best all around that he had stayed in bed. Not that anyone would hear him say that. Today had been much better, only falling asleep twice and only after downing his medicine.

He had been feeling much better. But there was still no word from Qye.

His hands clenched slightly, once again reaching out for that other part in his mind that represented the other boy in his head. And he sighed when he once again felt that flicker and unconscious rejection. Still, that refusal was better than the lack of reaction he had yesterday.

‘ _Still…why is he still out?’_   Worry and concern filled his thoughts. ‘ _Why is he rejecting me? What happened to - ’_

His apprehensive thoughts were cut short as he heard voices in the corridor.

Opening his eyes, he turned his head slightly –

– and blinked as red and brown-haired heads popped themselves through the entrance of his room.

He arched an eyebrow at Ron and Hermione. “Hello. You two look an awful like my two best friends who have apparently deserted me to deal with the horrors of the Infirmary all by ill self.”

Hermione huffed and entered fully into his room. “Honestly, Harry, don’t be melodramatic, it doesn’t suit you. And besides, if you had listened to me when I told you to come here the first time you wouldn’t have had to stay as long as you did.” She had that ‘ _I told you’_ look on her face even when she walked up to him and gave him a huge hug, which he weakly returned.

“Next time, I’ll listen, okay?” He replied dryly, raising himself up and rearranging the pillows to rest against them. “That’s still no excuse to abandon me like that.” He gave them his best kicked-puppy dog look.

“It’s not our fault, mate,” Ron defended, clapping him on the shoulder – Harry winced – with a bag slung over his shoulder. “Pomfrey refused us – or anyone, really – to see you until she deemed you fit and proper.” The Weasley boy grinned and dropped the bag on Harry’s lap. “And since everyone was too lazy to bother to keep up with your well-being, they sent me as a messenger boy with their get well letters and rubbish.”

Harry peered into the bag bulging with homemade cards telling him to feel better and chocolates of every kind from Honeydukes. “How considerate.”

“Don’t listen to him,” Hermione said, shooting an exasperated look at Ron and holding one of Harry’s hands in her own. “They were really worried about you. We all were.” Hermione turned her brown eyes to meet his own and he was taken aback by the massive amount of relief in them. More than was needed for a mere fever.

“You scared us all so much, Harry,” Hermione whispered, her slightly smaller hand tightening around his own. She blinked and his eyes widened slightly as he caught a trace of glimmer in them. “You were out of it for an entire day and then Pomfrey said we couldn’t see you and the way you just _fell_ and screamed…”

Ron’s hand eased on her shoulder and she dropped her eyes, blinking rapidly. Harry raised his eyes to the other boy’s solemn blue ones, once again taken aback by the exhaustion and relief he found in them.

“We’re glad you’re back in the land of the living,” Ron quietly said.

“You shouldn’t have gone through all this,” Hermione threw out fiercely and Harry turned startled eyes towards the suddenly glaring girl, her eyes still oddly bright. “If you had just listened to me and come to the Infirmary before you got that fever you wouldn’t have had such a high fever.” Harry dropped his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, picking at the sheets. “I…just didn’t think it was something to be worried about. I’ve never gotten sick before.”

There was a tense silence for a moment, Harry staring down at the plain white coverings, Ron standing awkwardly by the bed, Hermione sitting on the edge. Finally, the girl let out a tired sigh.

Then she pulled him into a hug.

Harry blinked.

“You keep forgetting you’re only human, Harry,” Hermione’s muffled voice came from his shoulder, sounding slightly sad. “You forget that you can get as sick as anybody else, that you’re young like all of us and you’re not invincible, not from anything.” Her voice trembled, the sadness deepening. “Everyone forgets.” She pulled back and gave another shimmering-eyed glare. “That’s why you have us, Harry, Ron and me! You’re suppose to come to us when you can’t handle it, that’s what friends do. Why won’t you let us help you?”

Harry eyed her strangely, confused by where the conversation had gone. “You can’t exactly help with me getting sick, 'Mione. There’s nothing you could have done, it was my own fault that I didn’t listen to you and come to the Infirmary like you said.”

“That’s not - ” Hermione stopped and took a deep breath. “We worry about you, Harry.” Her soft brown eyes looked gently into his. “We’re always here for you, Harry, when you want to talk, about anything. You don’t have to keep anything from us.”

“I’m not - ” he began to protest but to his surprise, the silent redhead cut him off.

“Yes, you are,” Ron interrupted. Harry turned his green eyes to the other boy’s blue ones, surprised by the frustration and anger in them. The taller boy seemed to fight with himself for a moment and then he burst, “You’re pushing us away, Harry!”

Harry’s eyes widened.

Ron continued, eyes flashing. “Both me and Hermione, all year and don’t you bloody well deny it! Hermione’s been wanting to ask you to talk all year but I’ve stopped her saying, ‘Give him some time’ and ‘He’ll talk when he’s ready’ and all that supportive and ‘giving space’ kind of crap that I thought you wanted, that I thought would stop you from going away from us. And it hasn’t done any good, you’re still doing it! I thought if we waited you would eventually come around and talk with us and everything would be okay but you haven’t and I’m tired of waiting! I’m tired of you carrying it all around and I don’t even bloody well know anymore what it _all_ is anymore! Damn it, Harry!” Ron cursed, dropping to the seat next to the bed and glaring at him. “We’re your friends, treat us as such and not like everyone else who doesn’t know who you really are.”

Another silence. Even Hermione looked stunned at Ron’s outburst.

This conversation was not right. Without reason, his panic started to lift slightly. Why were they talking about this? As if he didn’t have enough to worry about with Qye being silent and his hazy memory and now this. They had seemed fine with him before and now…

“What brought this all on?” he finally asked quietly, mind whirling and fixing his mind on one focus point that maybe he could understand and grasp, shifting his gaze from one to another.

“You try seeing one of us face pain and potential death several times in less than a week and not get upset over it,” Ron muttered uncomfortably, shifting his gaze to the floor.

Harry was silent, gazing at the now weary Ron and still tear-bright Hermione. Then he sighed and brought up his knees, wrapping his arms around them.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. He saw them both look at him and he cleared his throat, clenching and unclenching his hands. “I…I didn’t mean to do that to either of you. I didn’t mean to push you away, I wasn’t even aware of it.” He shifted his gaze to his hands, playing with his fingers. “I didn’t want to worry either of you. I thought I could handle it on my own and I could hide it so you two wouldn’t be disturbed.” He gave a mirthless smile. “Guess that didn’t work, huh?”

Hermione sighed again and sat next to him, making him scoot over to accommodate her small form. She took one of his hands and rubbed it comfortingly and he squeezed it gently back, lifting his eyes to see Ron stand up and sit on the end of the bed, an awkward look on his face.

“We didn’t mean to make you feel guilty, Harry,” Hermione said gently. “Like we said, we’re just worried about you. You’ve been acting so differently this year and this past week…we just don’t want to lose you, Harry. We love you.” She hugged him with one arm and he silently returned the hug with one of his own arms, the other hand still holding Hermione’s.

“In a strictly platonic sense, yeah?” Ron added, nudging his foot with his elbow and smiling slightly. Harry let out a small laugh, some of the tension and panic easing from him.

“And here was me thinking you had a thing for me, Ron,” he teased, emerald eyes twinkling slightly. Ron rolled his eyes and thwaped his foot as Hermione giggled.

“Git,” Ron muttered and Harry’s eyes twinkled more before he sobered up.

“Yeah, well…I am sorry for how I’ve been acting,” Harry murmured, arm still around Hermione and taking comfort from the closeness of his best friends. “It’s just…been a rough year, that’s all.”

Hermione looked at him, chocolate eyes filled with concern. “Do you want to talk about it?” Ron looked at him, expectation and a flicker of hope in his own eyes.

Harry looked down at his hands, considering everything. They wanted him to talk. And if he didn’t, he might lose them and his heart clenched fearfully at that thought. But…Qye came into his mind.

“There are some things that I want to tell you about…” he started slowly, raising his eyes again. “But, I don’t want you to be hurt when I say that there are some things that I can’t just talk about. Not right now. I’m still thinking and working on them - ”

“We could help you,” Hermione interrupted eagerly, turning in his arm and giving him a hopeful look. Harry smiled slightly at her enthusiasm and hugged her again.

“Thank you but…I need to work on this on my own. But I promise I’ll talk to you about it,” he added hastily when he saw Hermione’s face begin to fall and the frown on Ron’s face. “Later, when I think it through a bit more.”

“You’ll come to us when it gets too much though, right?” Ron frowned, looking at him. Harry nodded and Ron sighed. “Well, guess there’s much to do but wait then.” He made a sour expression. “I hate waiting.”

“’Patience is a virtue,’” Harry quoted and grinned at the glare he received for his quip. “You know, I hoped you two would visit to alleviate my boredom but this wasn’t exactly the visit I expected.”

“This conversation was long due in coming,” Hermione sniffed. “It’s not our fault that you got us so worried that we had to let it all out - ”

“Enough with the guilt trip already, Hermione,” Ron grumbled, settling further on the bed and snatching the bag of goodies. “I think we’ve all had enough of it.” He ripped off the wrapping of a Chocolate Frog and bit off the head.

“Barbarian,” Hermione muttered, taking one of the Peppermint Toothflosses. Harry looked at them bemusedly.

“Help yourself,” he offered, reaching for the bag and rummaging for a sweet. Ron looked blankly at him and Hermione blushed slightly. He lifted up a lollipop and raised a questioning eyebrow. “Do you mind?”

“Not at all,” Ron grinned and Harry rolled his eyes, unwrapping the top and shoving it in his mouth. He saw Ron’s eyes widen in horror and his mouth open a minute too late as the taste hit his tongue.

He rolled the sweet thoughtfully in his mouth for a moment, Hermione looking inquiringly at him and Ron wincing slightly as he munched on the Chocolate Frog. Then he popped out the red sweet and looked at curiously at it.

“So, whose bright idea was it to give me a Bloody Lolly?” he questioned.

Hermione choked.

Helpfully patting her on the back, he shoved the pop back into his mouth and raised an eyebrow at Ron, who looked something in between amused and disgruntled. Finally he sighed, turning amused and sympathetic eyes on Harry who grew slightly wary.

“People…think you fancy Professor Opacre’s brother,” Ron said reluctantly.

…

He spat out the lollipop.

“They **_what?_** ”

“I’m going to kill Seamus Finnegan,” Hermione suddenly growled and Harry turned his still-shocked face towards her glowering one. “I bet _he’s_ the one who put that one in there because Ron and I cleaned out all the others. He must’ve put it when we had our backs turned. Ooh, he better hope - ”

“Wait, wait,” Harry stopped her, raising a hand and turned wide and confused eyes on both of them. “What in the world makes him – or anyone really – think I…like…him?”

“Well, everyone got that idea the second time you collapsed,” Ron said, grabbing the bag and poking around in its contents.

Harry eyed him strangely. Second time?

Hermione muttered and crossed her arms. “It’s stupid, they think you must’ve had a crush on him or something because you grabbed him and fell into his arms after you started screaming.” She snorted. “Honestly, these people are barely two years away from being adults…”

Harry stared at her. “I did what?”

Hermione looked up at him, frowning slightly. “After you started screaming, Lest - ” she stumbled slightly over the name and Harry raised an eyebrow at its usage “ - came over to help and you just grabbed him.” She sniffed. “People started gossiping immediately afterwards, with you all in pain and everything and - ”

“I grabbed Lest?” interrupted Harry’s faint voice.

Hermione nodded satisfactorily and gestured to him as she spoke triumphantly to Ron. “See, he doesn’t even know it! He was probably in so much pain he didn’t even know it was him and just grabbed on as an instinct for comfort.” Ron rolled his eyes.

“Do you see me disagreeing with you?” the redheaded boy muttered, chewing on a piece of a toffee. “In case you’ve forgotten, I’ve gotten into a couple of fights these couple of days defending him - ”

“Which you shouldn’t have done,” Hermione frowned disapprovingly. “All that did was cost Gryffindor points and - ”

“Excuse me…” Harry’s dazed voice broke through and the other two turned to look at him. Ron and Hermione blinked at the baffled look on his face. “I grabbed Lest?”

They nodded.

“After I fainted?”

They nodded again.

“The second time?”

Another nod.

“And now everyone thinks I like him?”

Nod nod.

“…when did _this_ happen?”

Ron raised an eyebrow. “I think we’ve established that it happened the second time you fainted.”

“I fainted a second time?” Harry asked confusedly. “Was it after I talked with Dumbledore?”

Both sets of eyebrows shot up.

Before words could be exchanged, a light rap was heard at the doorway.

“Hi hi?”

Three heads turned to the doorway to see Professor Opacre’s face smiling at them from the doorway.

“Professor!” Hermione jolted in astonishment. “What are you doing here?” Harry felt Ron shift at the end of his bed and he blinked his own confusion.

“Just wanted to see if one of my favorite students was feeling better,” Professor Opacre smiled. She caught Harry’s gaze and beamed at him happily, blue eyes glowing. “And it seems you are!” She hurriedly walked over –

“Maybe you should tone down your exuberance, Soror, I doubt it’s appreciated by the ill.”

– to reveal her brother leaning casually against the doorpost.

Harry’s eyes widened in surprise and he felt Hermione jump a little.

“Lest!” she yelped and he raised a pale eyebrow at her.

“What are you doing here?”

Harry and Hermione turned surprised looks at the suddenly frowning Ron, a wary look on his face. Lest gave him a cool look and straightened from his lounge.

“My sister wanted to visit and I was bored. Is there a problem?” Lest asked nonchalantly. But his eyes dared Ron to say something. For once, the temperamental boy bit his lip and shook his head. Lest’s lips curled slightly.

“Lest,” Professor Opacre scolded and her brother tossed her an annoyed look. “Be nice.”

“I am being nice,” he smirked and he suddenly threw Harry a sarcastic smile. “You’ll notice I’m not throwing acorns at anyone.”

Harry furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

The vampire’s smile dropped, replaced with a frown.

“Lest,” Professor Opacre said exasperatedly. “Harry has just recovered from being sick so stop baiting him. And besides, he’s already apologized for that.”

Before her brother could reply, Harry blurted out bewilderedly, “Apologized for what?”

Four pairs of eyes stared at him

\-------

“He doesn’t appear to have amnesia,” Madam Pomfrey concluded, withdrawing her wand and turning off the light. “Nothing physical seems to be impairing him and I found no signs of trauma to his brain or anything else that may prevent him from remembering anything.”

“I don’t have amnesia,” Harry muttered for what felt the billionth time. “I just can’t remember.”

After asking his question, Professor Opacre had immediately run off to fetch the Nurse and what proceeded had to be the most confusing two hours of his life.

Did he remember waking up three days ago? Three days ago? That was interpreted as a negative. Did he remember sneaking out of the Infirmary? No, what was he, insane? Did he remember coming back to Great Hall and falling into a screaming fit where he then passed out unconscious? He remembered that but apparently it was a different fit that happened four days ago and under different circumstances.

And those weren’t the worst questions. Did he remember climbing up a tree and pelting Lest with acorns? _WHAT?! (_ That was also interpreted as no.) Did he remember falling on top of Lest and arguing with him on the way back to the castle? Merlin, no and he was **very** thankful he didn’t. Did he remember grabbing and clinging on to Lest in the middle of his second fainting fit? Someone kill him now, Voldemort, where are you?

“That’s typically referred to as amnesia, dear,” Professor Opacre said gently, sitting on one of the seats next to his bed. For whatever reasons, Professor Opacre and Lest had opted to stay, Lest leaning against one of the walls and staring at him with an odd look on his face. When he had replied to the questions asked – especially the one about grabbing Lest in the Hall – he thought he caught a trace of disappointment in the vampire’s face. But when he glanced again, the male vampire wore his typical impassive face.

Did he mention everything was very confusing?

Ron and Hermione had also stayed, fighting against the Head Nurse’s commands. It was only when Professor Opacre asked Pomfrey herself, a kind smile on her face and stubborn look in her eyes, did the disgruntled nurse acquiesce.

“But, I remember everything else,” Harry said, head pounding with confusion and the remnants of the sickness. “I remember getting sick four days ago and collapsing in the Great Hall after…” Here he shivered as he faintly recalled the vision and the split in his head. “After my fit,” he finished. “I remember everything that happened up to that point and I remember waking up yesterday with the fever. And you said I was out the entire day the day before that. So that day before that is the only thing I can’t really remember.”

“Losing a day of your memory is still pretty worrisome,” Professor Opacre pointed out worriedly.

“Losing any part of my memory is disturbing, yeah,” he shrugged uncomfortably and was it just him or did Lest just shift uneasily? “Maybe the fever did it and I was delirious so I can’t remember anything?”

“I checked you that day, Mr. Potter,” Pomfrey frowned. “It was odd because it had seemed like you had fully recovered.” She gave a disapproving look and he looked back defensively. Hey, he couldn’t be blamed for something he didn’t remember! “I told you to stay in the Infirmary because I was worried about a relapse – which I turned out to be correct in – but you left either way.” She furrowed her eyebrows. “I do remember you acting a little odd. If you’re right about the fever making you delirious enough so you couldn’t remember, then it most likely also affected your personality. But if your fever had been that strong then it should have shown up on my spell.”

“Maybe your spell malfunctioned?” Lest drawled from the wall, causing everyone to jump at his first uttered words since the examination had started.

This caused the teenagers to wince, his sister to nod thoughtfully and Pomfrey…

The elderly nurse raised herself to her full height – coming several inches short of Lest’s shoulders – and gave the vampire an icy glare. “I have been working at Hogwarts longer than you have lived on this planet, _Mr._ Opacre. I’ve had to go through several training programs in order to deal with anything that comes my way and it often does. My spells can **not** and do **not** _malfunction_.” She spat out the last word as if it had a foul taste.

Lest shrugged at the frosty tone. “You’re only human.”

Seeing the nurse’s face begin to redden, Harry hastily cut in. “It doesn’t really matter.” Everyone turned to look at him and he shifted awkwardly on the bed. “I mean, it’s only one day and nothing really important happened that day, right?” Lest’s face flashed for an instant, causing Harry to pause for a moment before continuing. “Maybe it was the sickness that did that to me and messed with my brain while I seemed cured on the outside. And then it stopped and came back as a physical thing. But since I’m cured now, I don’t think it’ll happen again. If it’s not doing me any harm then I see no reason to worry so much about it.”

“I agree with Harry,” Ron offered, shifting from his perch on the bedside drawer.

“You would,” Hermione muttered. Ron glared at the brunette and Harry rolled his eyes at them.

“As unconcerned as you may about this, I am not, Mr. Potter,” Madam Pomfrey said, frowning slightly at the bickering teens before turning her look on him. “I would like to keep you over the weekend just to make sure that you’re completely recovered and this…memory lapse…won’t happen again.”

Harry sighed and nodded, knowing better than to argue with the Head Nurse about her patient’s health. She nodded satisfactorily.

“Very well, then,” she said briskly. “I shall inform the Headmaster and your Head of House of this just in case it happens again.” Harry mentally sighed. “On Monday, you’ll return to classes but until then, stay in this bed and don’t become too excited.” At this, she threw a sheepish Ron and Hermione a warning look. Nodding once again, she turned and left the room.

Harry hoped he didn’t hear her mutter, “I like you better like this than with that other attitude…”

“Guess you’re stuck in here, huh?” Ron said sympathetically and Harry sighed and slumped against his pillows. “Rotten luck but at least you didn’t have to go to Potions all week.”

“And that’s supposed to cheer him up how?” Hermione retorted, standing up from her seat and fluffing up his pillows, causing Harry to smile slightly at her motherly attitude. “You know Professor Snape won’t be sympathetic to Harry and will just give him more make-up work.”

“Thanks for the cheerful thought to look forward to, Hermione,” Harry sighed and she winced and looked abashed.

“I believe I can help with that,” Professor Opacre broke in and the teenagers turn to look at her curiously. Her bright blue eyes twinkled mischievously. “I can’t have that mean man picking on my favorite students, can I? I’m sure we’ll be able to arrange something so Harry won’t suffer as much.”

“I thought teachers weren’t supposed to show favoritism?” Lest drawled at his sister, still leaning on the wall. “Isn’t that against the rules?”

“You obviously need to know Professor Snape better,” Professor Opacre smiled sweetly back. “Everyone knows he doesn’t pay heed to those rules so why should I?”

“Yeah, especially to that git, Malfoy,” Ron muttered.

Lest’s eyes moved from his sister to Ron.

“Snape favors Malfoy?” the vampire asked silkily.

Ron looked warily at the vampire, standing up from his seat. “Yeah…since first year. And everyone knows he’s absolutely against Harry.”

Lest’s eyes glittered. “Hn.”

“Lest…” Professor Opacre began in a warning tone and Lest looked loftily at her. “I told you, **don’t** go playing around him here. Act as childish as you want outside but not here.”

Lest merely shrugged.

The blonde woman sighed and stood up from her chair, smoothing out her aquamarine skirts. “We best go before my brother gets any more ideas.” She smiled and leaned over, smoothing out Harry’s hair gently. “I hope you get better, Harry. I’d like for you to be in class on Monday.”

Harry blushed and nodded. “I’ll try,” he said awkwardly, embarrassed by the display of affection from his teacher. Professor Opacre’s eyes twinkled and she turned to leave, Lest moving off from the wall to join her.

“Wait!” The vampires turned, surprised, to him and he grabbed the bag lying at the end of the bed. Shifting through its contents, he picked out two red lollipops.

Hermione hissed and fumed. “Seamus…”

Chuckling slightly and throwing an amused look at the murderous look on Hermione’s face, he offered the two sweets to the vampires.

“Thank you for visiting,” he said sincerely. Professor Opacre smiled back at him and patted his head, causing him to blush a bit. He held out the other one for Lest, who looked taken aback. “You too. And I’m sorry for anything I did when I wasn’t aware.”

Lest looked at him, face blank and revealing nothing. Harry sweated for a moment when he didn’t take the sweet. ‘ _He probably thinks it childish…’_

To his surprise, Lest took the offered candy, his hand barely grazing Harry’s. The black-haired boy restrained a shiver that the contact caused and smiled cautiously at the older man.

“I didn’t mind,” Lest said quietly. Then the vampire turned and left, his sister following after waving a cheery goodbye to Ron and Hermione.

“I think that’s our cue to leave,” Hermione said decidedly. She gave Harry a last hug, which he returned warmly, before she stepped back, smiling kindly at him. “I’m glad you’re feeling better, even with all this memory loss. We’ll be back to visit you again tomorrow.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Harry smiled, trading a grin with Ron. “Pomfrey isn’t going to let me do much of anything around here.”

“I should’ve brought you some homework to get done,” Hermione sighed.

“…on second thought, don’t visit me, okay?”

Ron yelped when Hermione swatted him. “Hey! He’s the one who said it, not me!”

“I blame you as a corrupting influence,” Hermione groused, alternately glowering between the two boys. Harry merely smiled at her and she rolled her eyes. “Come on, before you can cause more harm.”

Ron rolled his eyes as Hermione proceeded to drag him out. “Catch some rest, mate, I doubt she’ll be letting you do any real relaxing once she brings the homework.” He grinned as Hermione swatted him again and Harry laughed as he waved farewell.

His smile faded as they left Infirmary and he once again closed his eyes, easing himself down on the pillows and opening his eyes to stare at the ceiling.

About an hour later, after Pomfrey checked him over again and turned off the lights, he continued to stare up.

Everything had gone…odd. Woken up with a fever. Went through an upsetting conversation with Ron and Hermione. Was reminded how grateful he was to have friends like them and comforted by their presence. Received…unsettling…news about new encounters with Lest and the consequences he would face from people. Uncomfortably found out that he was missing an entire day’s worth of memories which made him rather uneasy. Having to deal that he was stuck in the Infirmary for the entire weekend.

And Qye still wasn’t awake.

Harry turned on his side and curled up, staring dully at the darkness in the room. Funny, he never thought he would miss that annoying little voice in his head. Qye would probably have made a million comments today that would have had him annoyed to death because of their cynicism or embarrassed because he would be on the verge of laughter. He might’ve had advice on how to deal with this set of problems. Made some sarcastic comment about the gossiping nature of people and had a sympathetic fume with Hermione about Seamus. He would’ve even enjoyed seeing Lest again.

Harry closed his eyes and gently nudged that other presence, with little hope and disheartened.

He didn’t expect the stir that followed or the rousing of the consciousness, his mind once again filled with the feeling of the other boy residing in it.

 **::Mmm…Harry…::** came Qye’s sleepy thought. : **:What’d I miss?::**


	20. Various Silences

**_::I can’t believe you.::_ **

**::Hey!::** Qye protested. **::It’s not my fault! It’s not like I…planned it or anything. It just…sort of happened…::**

 ** _::Oh, I see now. So it was someone_** **else _who decided to piss off the nurse, throw acorns at someone I know_ nothing _about and caused everyone to think I have thing for said person?::_** Harry snapped, glowering at the vase next to his bed. **_::Right...anger completely unjustified.::_**

 **::At least you're feeling better?::** Qye tried and Harry could feel traces of irritation beginning to stem from him.

 ** _::What the hell, Qye?! Look, I don't blame you at all for...for...::_** Here he faltered but the annoyance made him push forward. **_::You know. But what were you thinking playing with my life like that?::_**

 **::It's not my damn fault!::** Qye snapped back and he wasn't even trying to hide the anger in his voice anymore. **::I just did what I had to do!::**

 ** _::No, you did what would_** **entertain _you::_** Harry retaliated, teeth clenching. **_::You could have just stayed here, where you were_ supposed _to but you chose to do things to entertain yourself. In the worse possible bloody manner.::_**

 **::Excuse me for refusing to be a little meek thing like you::** Qye growled and Harry tried not to flinch at the direct insult. **::Must be that whole "not-having-a-body" thing that made me try to want to bloody live a little - ::**

:: _ **IT'S NOT YOUR LIFE!**_ :: Harry finally shouted, green eyes burning. Qye's shock faltered the anger Harry had been receiving from him and he continued, angry and hurt and finally speaking his real problem with Qye's actions, more than the simple physical assumption of his body.

 ** _::Are you that much of a brat that you're not seeing what I'm pissed about?::_** Harry hissed. **_::You didn't just take my body, you took my_ life _, who I_ am _, and played with it just for your own amusement. I'm sorry you've been stuck like this, you know I am, but my life if not something you can just use and do whatever the hell you want with! Are you getting that Qye?_ My life _. Are you really that...that...fucking self-centered about yourself?!::_**

**::Knock it off!::**

There was silence and boiling emotions from both boys until Qye spoke again, voice more controlled. **::Look, I had planned on just sleeping through the entire thing and I didn’t mean to cause you any problems. It’s not my bloody fault that old hag ratted me out and I had to pretend to be you, okay? I...might have gotten a little carried away. Drop the guilt trip crap, all it's doing is annoying the hell out of me.::**

Another moment of silence and then, voice awkward and soft, **::I really am sorry.::**

There was another tense moment and then Harry released another breath, easing out his anger, slumping back on the pillows. **_::Yeah...::_**

He let out a frustrated sound and pressed his hands against his face, letting out a long breath. **_::Everyone thinks I have this thing for Lest now though...and I’m stuck in the Infirmary for the entire weekend.::_**

They were quiet again, awkward in the wake of the irritation and anger.

 ** _::Brat::_** Harry finally said, quietly, closing his eyes.

Another pause of silence and he felt Qye's equivalent of a twitch of a smile. **::Prat.::**

 ** _::Evil incarnate.::_** Harry restrained a smile as Qye blew a raspberry. ** _::Why haven't I tried to exorcise you yet?::_**

 **::Sorry, can’t get rid of me that easily::** Qye said. **::And besides, what would you do without me? Your life would be as interesting as dissecting worms.::**

**_::You never know, worms might be interesting.::_ **

If the other boy had eyes, he would most definitely be rolling them at Harry. **::Well, what’s done is done. You can’t change the past so we’re just going to have to deal with the repercussions of what happened, okay?::**

 ** _::Can’t I sulk for a bit about the unfairness of it all?::_** Harry asked curiously.

Qye snorted. **::If we all did that whenever life did something unfair, we wouldn’t have time for anything else. Suck it up, boy.::**

**_::I’m older than you.::_ **

**::I’m inclined to disagree as I believe age carries weight in mental capacities and not physical appearance. As such, I do believe I outrank you in quite a degree.::**

Harry chose not to dignify the insult with a response. Qye smirked.

They were silent for a moment, one of those comfortable silences now rather than the tense fury of before. Then an uncomfortable thought that he had been trying all along not to think of forced itself to the forefront of Harry’s mind and he sighed, reluctant to let go of one of the rare moments of peace he had.

 ** _::Qye…::_** Harry said quietly, turning over on his side and curling up, winding his arms around his knees and staring at the wall.

 **::Yes, Harry?::** Qye replied just as quietly, an idea of what was going to be said already at hand.

**_::An entire day…with me completely gone…::_ **

Qye said nothing. Harry closed his eyes and reached out to find Qye reaching for him as well. He felt Qye’s fear, insecurity, frustration and shared his own.

They were silent again.

Feeling Harry shake, Qye didn’t tell him that his fear wasn’t about switching places.

He merely went closer to the other boy to reassure himself from what had really frightened him.

\-------

The Infirmary was silent except for Madam Pomfrey, who snored undisturbed in her bed in the nurse’s office. Other than Harry Potter, there were few other patients in the Infirmary and all of the occupants were fast asleep in their beds as the door quietly opened and a slim figure slipped in.

Gray eyes glanced into the office, noting the nurse as she mumbled and turned over in her blankets. Soft leather boots tapped their way across the smooth floor of the Infirmary, sliding past the other patients and stopping by a door. A pale hand gently eased the door open, aristocratic features wincing as a soft creak echoed through the sterile place. Quicksilver eyes sharply looked back to the office but the nurse continued to sleep soundly.

Shaking his head, Draco Malfoy slipped in and soundlessly closed the door behind him.

It was ridiculous how easy it was to slip into the savior of the wizarding world’s room undetected. Then again, he had trained himself against things with better hearing than a sleeping old nurse.

His skin had more color.

Draco thought this as he faintly trailed his fingertips across the soft back of the sleeping boy’s hand. It wasn’t clammy to touch, feeling rather warm and soft. He comforted himself with tracing shapes and words across it. All the while, even breathing passed across the back of his own hand, warm and sweet and gentle.

The hand twitched when the Slytherin pressed down too hard as an unwelcome thought entered his mind.

He’d damn himself first before it was stolen by the dead, leeching lips of Opacre.

He had seen the look in the vampire’s face when Harry had collapsed – he didn’t let himself think thrown – into his arms that night. Seen the delighted pleasure and hungry lust behind the gentleness.

Opacre was very mistaken if he thought he would stand by and let him indulge in his perversions on the green-eyed boy like he did with the others who threw themselves at him.

Silver eyes darkened to mercury. Opacre was not going to win again. Not now, not with this. He may lose at everything else but he wasn't about to lose this.

Sighing silently, the platinum-haired teen withdraw his hand and the corners of his lips lifted slightly when he saw the golden hand flex towards his retreating fingers. He resisted the desire to return his hand and reluctantly backed away from his rival. Shaking his head, Draco ironically thought of how everything had changed since last year.

Sliding his hands in the pockets of his loose gray slacks, he gave one last lingering look at the slumbering boy before turning around to bid his retreat.

“Leaving so soon?” A soft voice asked quietly.

Draco froze.

\-------

“Are you sure you’re feeling up to this, Harry?” Hermione asked him anxiously on Monday as they made their way over to the Great Hall for breakfast. “I mean, if you’re still feeling weak, maybe you need to recover a bit more and I’m sure Madam Pomfrey would be more than happy to take you in for a few more days - ”

“Don’t doubt that,” Harry muttered as he hitched his schoolbag higher on his shoulder. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think she'd want to keep me locked in the Infirmary for the rest of my life.”

“Well, to be fair, you seem to put yourself in there enough that she doesn’t have to try,” Ron smirked. Harry glowered at him.

“You’re not helping.”

“Am I suppose to?”

**::Arse.::**

“Ron, Harry, be serious,” Hermione scolded as the two snickered for completely different reasons. Her brown eyes scowled at them and she placed her hands on her hips as she walked, apparently trying to tower over the two taller boys. “This isn’t a laughing matter at all, Harry could be suffering from sort of wizarding disease or maybe he’s trying to stretch himself out beyond his means.”

“He’s still here, 'Mione,” Harry helpfully pointed out as they rounded a corner and the Great Hall’s light poured out into the corridor ahead of him. “And he’s feeling perfectly fine, thank you very much. What he does not need is to spend any more time in the Infirmary or he might go mad and take it out on poor innocent brunettes who act too much like his mother.”

“He’s speaking in the third person, Hermione,” Ron stage-whispered and Harry rolled his eyes. Clearly, his point was lost.

**::You had a point?::**

**_::Enough with the commentary, yes?::_ **

Hermione waved Ron away and frowned up at Harry, crossing her arms. “Look, if you’re going to make a joke about your health and well-being…”

Harry stopped, looked down, and shuffled right and then left a few times.

Ron and Hermione stopped and stared.

**::What the hell…?::**

A blush crawled onto the green-eyed boy’s face as he rolled his eyes and resumed his trek to breakfast, inwardly (very) thankful that no one had noticed his moment of silliness. “So I guess the joke wasn’t funny?”

“How was that funny?” Ron muttered, shaking his head and catching up with the shorter boy. Hermione blinked and walked up as well, apparently thrown aback by the odd moment from the typically serious boy.

“I’m feeling well enough to dance?” Harry offered weakly. He had just suffered from the flu, two faints, and switching places with Qye within a week, so perhaps now wasn’t a good time to try and be funny with his friends...or ever, really. At the continued weird stares he was getting, he sighed and rolled his eyes again. “Never mind."

“Maybe he does need to go back to the Infirmary…” Ron murmured to Hermione and grunted as Harry shoved him hard as they entered the Hall. Rubbing his abused shoulder, the redhead scowled at the glowering boy. “Hey, I thought you were fine before. It’s all this dancing and lame jokes that have me concerned, alright?”

“I’m…okay,” Harry finished, slightly wary of the word ‘fine’ now.

They walked to the Gryffindor table and Harry smiled as he noticed some of his Housemates waving cheerfully in welcome.

"You better watch it Harry!" One of the twins called, grinning from a plate of eggs. "You're - "

" - on your sixth life with only three more to go!" The other twin finished, grinning as he took a drink.

"Ah, but he's got his ever-loving immortal to keep him going, don't you know?" Seamus interrupted, smirking from his place at the table. Harry could feel the scorching heat of Hermione's glare to his right and a few other Gryffindors added their own (low-volume) catcalls. His face reddened and he didn't know whether to ignore it or deny it fervently, sure either one would prolong his embarrassment.

It was right when he was passing Seamus that his vision blurred and before he knew it, he suddenly hooked his leg around the leg of the Irish boy's chair and yanked, dropping Seamus on the floor. The fuzziness faded and Harry came back to himself to find everyone staring at him.

 **::QYE!::** Qye shrunk further back into Harry's mind but he could feel the satisfaction pouring mightily from the other boy as he struggled to retain a calm composure and frantically thought of what to do.

Seamus stared wide-eyed up at him.

A thought came to him and he held out his hand, a wry smile coming onto his face.

"Thanks for the Bloody Lolly."

Seamus grinned and grasped his hand, laughing as he stood up. Harry felt the tension fade away as everyone laughed, a few tossing in their own half-hearted apologies. Harry grinned and sat down with Ron and Hermione, dropping his bag on the floor and not even attempting to control Hermione's serving to his own plate.

"I'm afraid Hermione here threw most of them out," Harry continued dryly, "but your sentiments were well understood, thanks."

"Ah, but you know it, mate," Seamus winked at him from down the table.

**::Idiot.::**

"You have to know, however," Harry cleared his throat, torn between being annoyed and amused with Qye, "that they're not really my type." He picked up his fork and started in on his fully-served plate - courtesy of Hermione - while giving a quick meaningful look around.

He saw a few people grin sheepishly - not Seamus, who was still cheekily smirking - and nodded, satisfied that people got the hint. _'Maybe this won't be so bad after all,'_ he thought vaguely to himself as he picked up a few potatoes.

"That's right, you like green dragon jellies more, don't you, Harry?" Ginny suddenly said, innocence pouring from her voice as she sat across him with her brothers, both who looked up and gave identical sly grins.

The potatoes went down the wrong way and Harry choked.

\-------

“No one’s talking…”

“What are you on about, Finnegan?” Ron frowned as the sixth-year Gryffindors headed up to the Defense Against the Dark Arts room for their last class of the day. Harry kept half an ear on the conversation as he listened to Hermione highlight the notes of the days he had missed last week. It had been a week of study so he didn’t have to worry about it too much, having read the assignments that Hermione had brought over on the weekend. However, Professor Opacre always added more in her lectures from other textbooks she had but thankfully – and he once more thanked whatever lucky star he had to have this one girl as his best friend – Hermione always took the best notes.

**::Ever think of taking a leaf out of her book?::**

**_::She’d kill me for her losing her place. And what did I say about your commentary?::_ **

“No one’s talking,” Seamus flailed his arms slightly, looking a little panicked. “I always talk to the Hufflepuffs after lunch to find out what the lesson is so I can prepare for it - ”

“Seamus!” Hermione barked, breaking off from her summary and glaring at the Irish boy. “That’s cheating!”

“Yell a little louder, why don’t you, Hermione?” Seamus grumbled, glancing around the corridor. “And I’m always a little behind in the class anyway so it’s not like it matters or anything.” He shuddered. “I’d hate to think what I’d be like without it.”

**::The idiot you are?::**

**_::You’re mean.::_ **

**::Need some fencing lessons?::**

**_::Sorry?:::_ **

**::Your stabs at my heart are falling pathetically short.::**

“But still…” Hermione continued, still frowning disapprovingly.

“Look, it’s not like I tell anyone else, alright? Besides, that’s not the point,” Seamus huffed. “The point is I asked the Hufflepuffs and not a single one of them will tell me anything about the lesson today.” The panicked expression returned to his blue eyes. “What kind of lesson is it that not one of them will say anything?! How am I suppose to survive?!”

“The same like the rest of us?” Dean suggested and smiled when the sandy-haired boy scowled at him. “Look, she’s never given us anything that we can’t do so how can this be any worse?”

“Maybe she’s finally going to take his suggestion from the beginning of the year and suck him dry?” a familiar drawling voice came from behind them. “Figures why the ickle Hufflepuffs wouldn’t say anything to him, too nice to give him the bad news.”

“Welcome back,” Ron muttered to Harry as the displeased Gryffindors turned to face the smirking Slytherins. Harry glanced sympathetically at Hermione when she let out a small sigh.

“Oh, ha ha,” Seamus snorted sarcastically. “What do you know, Malfoy? Then again, Slytherins know a lot about sucking, don’t you?”

“No more than you do, Finnegan,” Blaise Zabini replied coolly, standing behind Draco - **::Stay. With. One. Bloody. Name.::** \- with his arms crossed. The Slytherins sniggered as the Gryffindors’ faces slowly began to turn red for various reasons.

Harry looked confusedly at the others, especially when he noticed the embarrassment in their faces. **_::Okay…a rather lame insult so why…?::_**

 **::I find it better not to ask::** Qye replied blandly, taking a moment to look through his eyes before returning to his reading of Harry's memories. For some reason, he seemed to invade his privacy more than usual now, muttering something about "bloody insightful old men" and "shameful ignorance" whenever Harry begged him not to.

Hermione cleared her throat and drew herself up when the attention shifted to her. “As amusing as that was,” she icily replied, ignoring the smirks of the other House, “we all have a class to attend.” Looking at all of them equally, she frowned slightly. “And just to say something…this is getting really childish.” Sniffing, she turned and calmly walked up the stairs to the corridor of the DADA classroom.

Slytherins and Gryffindors alike blinked at the fuzzy-haired girl.

“What the hell…?” Harry heard Zabini mutter.

“What’s childish?” Ron frowned at Harry and the shorter boy blinked, taken aback.

“Why are you asking me?” Harry asked strangely, giving the redhead a weird look. Glancing at the still befuddled group of teenagers, he turned away and followed Hermione at a more leisurely pace. “Come on, if Professor Opacre really is going to drain us dry, I’d rather have it over and done with so I can work on that forest Snape gave me.”

He heard the mutters of the two Houses, thankful that none of them sounded too belligerent. _‘Thank you, Hermione,’_ Harry said silently, grateful for the smart witch’s idea to startle the two groups before a row could start.

They caught up to Hermione and Harry grinned as he heard Ron and Hermione began to bicker, catching “No House pride” and “More to life than fighting.” Stretching his arms slightly, he glanced to the side and watched Dean try to comfort a still gloomy Seamus while Neville looked caught between being sympathetic and panicking himself.

Caught up in antics of the others, he almost didn’t catch the touch on his back.

Jerking, Harry threw a startled look over his shoulder.

Draco smiled at him. “Hi.”

Harry blushed.

~~~~~~

_“Leaving so soon?”_

_He opened his eyes in time to see the blond freeze._

_He had been in the middle of a doze when he felt the first touch._

_A cool hand had brushed by his brow, a caress that skimmed across his scar, down his temple and the side of his face, tracing his lips momentarily before disappearing._

_Qye had left once more, lost in his thoughts or slumbering or whatever he did when Harry slept. But whatever it was, he didn’t know what was going on and Harry hadn’t known a time he had been more thankful that the other boy was not here to witness this._

_Especially considering who it was._

_The hand returned, touching his own hand and absently drawing shapes and writing words that couldn't be understood. ‘Why…’_

_He barely managed to prevent a yelp when tender fingers suddenly pressed fiercely but couldn’t stop the flinch._

_The fingers quickly soothed an apology for the harsh treatment. They continued to stroke the back of his hand before a small sigh came and they left, leaving him bereft him of their comfort._

_The clicking of soft, obviously expensive boots, sounded in the room, moving near-soundlessly on the floor and growing faint. ‘Well, if he thinks he’s leaving without an explanation…’_

_Funny, he never thought Malfoy knew the meaning of stunned._

_“What are you doing here, Malfoy?” Harry murmured, eyes still holding traces of slumber that clung to him as he rested on the bed and looked at the other boy._

_Malfoy recovered quickly and turned around, his arrogance and superior attitude snapping to attention and surrounding him immediately. Harry was idly reminded of Lest for a moment before he banished the thought and focused back on the white-haired boy._

_“Just came to see if the great Harry Potter was still alive,” Malfoy smirked, crossing his arms and strolling back to the bed. “Never took you for a fainter, Potter, but twice in a week? Do we have to start carrying smelling salts around you now?” His mocking laugh was cut short by the smaller boy’s words._

_“If you’re going to be like that, then you can just leave,” Harry said quietly, turning to his right side and facing away from the Slytherin. “I’m sure you can leave just as silently as you came in without getting caught.”_

_Harry closed his eyes and listened to the sound of the other’s breathing, soft and regular. In…out…in…and out once more. Soft and lulling without missing a beat._

_Then a sigh broke the rhythm and he heard footsteps growing louder as they approached the bed. The other boy didn't say anything and Harry sighed inwardly. 'Figures,' he thought, exasperated. 'The one time he actually chooses to shut up.' He gave it another moment and then rolled back onto his back, green eyes raising to meet awkward gray ones._

_"So is there a point to your breaking and entering?" Harry asked, unable to stand the silence anymore._

_Malfoy shrugged uncomfortably and folded his arms, moving his eyes and frowning out the window. "Didn't think you'd be awake."_

_"That unsurprisingly doesn't make me feel any better about the visit, wouldn't you know," Harry replied sarcastically._

_"It's not like I was going to do anything to you," Malfoy scowled, glancing at him again with an irritated expression. "You weren't well and I'd thought I'd check up to see if I would have to find a new partner to train all over again," he said defensively._

_Harry made a noncommittal noise, keeping his eyes focused on Malfoy's face despite how tired he was. The other teenager didn't seem to have anything else to say however._

_"Well, I'm not dying so you don't have to worry about it," Harry finally said. He closed his eyes and relaxed into the Infirmary's bed, exhausted and feeling awkward and stupid. He expected Draco to leave and for a while, he heard nothing. 'Maybe he's trying to think of a good insult to depart on,' he thought cynically, the pleasant feelings of before vanished._

_He felt the warmth of skin before he even registered that Malfoy had placed a hand against his face. His eyes opened again to find the Slytherin's face closer than it was and his drowsiness increased, fueled by warmth and a soothing scent._

_"Try and keep it that way," Draco said softly. His face was unreadable but Harry gained a strange sort of comfort from the expression. Another moment of fingers down the edge of his face, running alongside his jaw, and then he removed his hand, straightening up and finally moving away from the bed. Harry watched him pause at the doorway with his hand on the knob._

_"About that last fit," he said quietly, hand clenching and unclenching by his side, "Did you..." He trailed off and Harry furrowed his brow._

_"Did I what?"_

_"The vampire," the blond growled. "I told you to stay away from him and first thing you go and do is throw yourself in his arms. Did you purposefully do that to piss me off or - " He stopped and Harry blinked as he watched the Slytherin's hand tighten on the knob with his knuckles turning white._

_'He didn't like that,' Harry realized._

_"Never mind," Draco muttered, shaking his head as if to dispel something. "It's none of my business, right?"_

_His spine was completely straight, his shoulders tense and all Harry could really think about was that Draco didn't seem to like the idea of Harry - which it wasn't, but Draco didn't know that - being held by Lest. Because he was a vampire? Because he didn't like Lest?_

_Didn't feel like it._

_"You know," Harry said suddenly as Draco made to open the door, "I don't remember everything. I don't even remember that second time fainting so it wasn't a conscious thing to 'throw myself in his arms' as you put it. If I had been, I most certainly wouldn't have done it." He thought he saw Draco's shoulders relax and he closed his eyes._

_"I remember the last thing I thought before I blacked out the first time though," he continued quietly, not thinking about what he was saying and feeling sleep tug at him. The door didn't make any sound so maybe Draco was still standing there listening._

_"I wished..." Harry murmured, uncertainty kicking in. He could stop talking and not say it but just thinking of that felt wrong. "It was kind of what you were doing when you came in except...I think I wanted to be in your arms."_

_If that wasn't embarrassing..._

_He didn't even dare to open his eyes, keeping them firmly shut. In the silence, he finally registered the even breathing of the other teenager. He wondered if Draco could hear his heartbeat and how fast it was beating._

_"Harry -"_

_"You should get out of here now, Pomfrey makes check-ups around now," he mumbled, once again rolling away from the piercing gaze of the other boy, this time for a completely different reason. Draco didn't say anything after that low utterance of his name and a few moments later, Harry could no longer hear his breathing._

_Yes, it was good thing Qye had disappeared. Harry curled a hand around the edge of the bed and buried his flushed face in his pillow._

~~~~~

“You're cute when you blush,” Draco smirked.

 **:: _Why_** **are you blushing?::** Qye asked suspiciously, still unaware of what had happened.

"Shut up," Harry muttered to both of them, trying his hardest to bury his blush as he turned away from the Slytherin. Clearly his idea of actions and consequences failed to work at night. He fiddled with the straps on his book bag. "Talking to me in public? Won't that get you in trouble with your court?"

“I’m their Prince," Draco responded loftily. "They may grumble, rumor, hiss, disapprove, call for my beheading and all that rubbish but in the end, I'm still the Prince and they're still plebeians."

"Your modesty humbles me," Harry deadpanned.

Draco smirked at him. Harry felt his own lips twitch in response. Before anything more could be said - especially about the other night - Harry heard one of his friends calling out to him. He glanced at them and back at Draco, flushing and feeling awkward again.

"Last time I checked, you're not under my rule so you don't have to ask my permission, you know," Draco commented dryly. He glanced over at his own Housemates, some who were already eyeing the two of them in askance. "I should probably go back to my own before they start plotting mutiny again." Harry rolled his eyes and turned back to the rest of his House.

"I wasn't going to," he snorted. "It'll be a warm day in Snape's classroom before I bow to you."

Silence and then the warm breath of Draco's chuckle passed by his neck and ear. "We'll see about that...Harry."

 **::I'm missing something!::** Qye burst out. **::What the hell, Harry, how am I suppose to properly tease you if I'm not in the loop?::**

"You know, Seamus," Harry said as he rejoined his group, alternating between flushing and paling, "I'm almost hoping your impending sense of doom is right."

"Don't say that, Harry!" Neville squeaked, having chosen to panic alongside Seamus.

"What did Malfoy want?" Ron asked, staring at Harry. Harry smiled weakly.

"You know, his delusions of grandeur and such."

"What are you two talking about?" Hermione interrupted, looking at them curiously as Ron continued to eye Harry with a strange look on his face. Before he could fashion up something to quickly drop the subject, Seamus scrambled between them, his horrified face looking at Harry.

"You don't really think I'm right, right, Harry?" Seamus asked frantically. Neville was an ill shade of green and Dean gave an imploring look to Harry, clearly having given up trying to calm his best friend.

Thankful for the distraction, Harry grinned at them as they rounded the corner to the hall of the classroom.

“I’m sure everything will be okay. I mean, Professor Opacre is always nice.

“What’s the worse that can happen?”

\-------

Lest was sitting in Professor Opacre's chair when they finally reached the room.

Hermione had been the first one in the room, finishing up her summary to Harry when she entered the doorway, abruptly stopping in movement and speech. Harry, walking with her, peered over her shoulder to see the male vampire lounging carelessly at the desk, his blue eyes fastened unwaveringly on them.

"Holy Mary, Mother of God," Seamus said in a hushed whisper. Dean smacked him.

The Gryffindors, in an uncharacteristic attitude, silently filed in and took their seats, most of them staring at the new feature in the room while the ones who weren't staring, were very much obviously trying not to stare. In the time since Lest had arrived at Hogwarts, he had never once been in the classroom.

Harry was one of the ones trying obviously not to stare.

The atmosphere in the classroom became even worse when the Slytherins came in. Harry could practically feel when Draco stepped in because the uncomfortable and confused silence of the classroom turned frigid and tense in such a way that Ron moved his chair closer to Harry and Hermione.

 **::This is...::** Qye trailed off, staring through Harry's eyes even though Harry firmly fixed his eyesight on the materials he was putting on his desk. For once, it seemed not even the younger boy had anything to say.

Things continued like this until all of the students arrived and finished settling in. And even then, Lest didn't say a single word. His gaze just focused on them and Harry nervously twirled his quill. _'Don't tell me he really is going to teach...'_

As the thought crossed his mind, there came a clatter at the door and Harry shifted his green eyes to see Professor Opacre bustle in with papers and what appeared to be a clear make up bag containing various vials in an assortment of colors.

Professor Opacre stopped and stared at her brother lounging in her chair.

Lest didn’t move from his position.

The students watched nervously as she raised a cool pale eyebrow.

“Is there a reason you’re sitting in my seat, brother dearest?” the female vampire asked serenely as she crossed the room over to her desk, dropping the bundle of papers gently onto the cherry wood. She more carefully placed the bag with the vials - potions? - in the middle of the desk, on top of a book. She then tilted her head calmly at the unruffled figure of her brother.

Lest raised sleepy eyes to his sister.

“You know,” the young professor continued, a touch of irritation finally entering her composed voice, “as I am the one teaching this class, I think I should be the one to enjoy the fruit of my labor.”

“So you admit that teaching this lot of…children…to be laborious then?” Lest finally spoke, voice smooth and calm, an ironic smile crossing his pale features.

 **::Anyone with two brain cells to rub together would know that::** Qye muttered in the back of Harry’s mind, seeming to come back to himself. The presence of Professor Opacre seemed to soothe him and Harry could feel him begin to relax. **::I’m surprised Myn has made it this far without killing someone. Then again, she did have to live with Lest.::**

 ** _::Not to mention she had to deal with you too::_** Harry replied sweetly.

Qye wasn't the only one whose tensions were leaving. When Professor Opacre entered, he felt the other students calm, Seamus going as far as muttering "Thank you" and Neville letting out a relieved sigh.

“I never said that,” the blonde woman replied, a frown marring her typically easy features.

The male vampire shrugged elegantly and slouched further in the soft leather chair, stretching out his denim-clad legs even more. “I say let the one with the highest rank enjoy the comfort of this remarkably made chair.”

“I concur,” the woman agreed.

Then she pitched Lest out of the chair.

As Lest stumbled off, Professor Opacre cheerfully plopped down and turned twinkling eyes onto the fury encompassed ones of her brother.

“You forget, Frater,” chirped the female vampire. “I outrank you in age.”

Qye laughed hysterically.

Lest growled out something in a different language and Professor Opacre rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed as she went around organizing her things and flicking through attendance.

"You already promised so you can just stand in the corner until I'm ready for you," Professor Opacre said airily, responding to whatever her younger brother had said. Harry stared alongside the others when Lest's eyebrow twitched and he backed away, folding his arms and leaning back on the wall, scowling at his sister. Qye just continued to snicker helplessly.

Professor Opacre's bright blue eyes cheerfully looked at her class, all of whom looked thrown off-balance. Except for Draco, who was meeting Lest scowl for scowl.

"Hello," she smiled, finishing off attendance and standing up from her desk. "Sorry I was a little late, I had to get some extra materials for today's lesson and Professor Snape...well, since teachers are supposed to talk nice about one another, let's just he was super helpful." She smiled a smile which showed her fangs.

"You can put your texts away anyway," she continued, walking to the front of her desk and leaning back at them, reducing her smile to something nicer. "We're doing a one-of-a-kind thing today and I really wanted to surprise you all. I've already cleared it with Dumbledore so no worries but since I want honest reactions, I ask you to please keep it secret from everyone else. I made sure that all of the other classes kept silent too so no one would have any added advantage." Here she paused. "Not that anyone asked anyone else."

Seamus winced.

"Anyway," she continued, smiling, "I'm sure you've all noticed my darling baby brother standing behind me giving me looks of death. He'll actually be helping us with said one-of-a-kind event."

Her smile faltered and then faded. Her eyes swept over all of them and Harry thought she momentarily paused over him. He frowned and leaned forward.

"By now, I'm sure you're all aware of the rumors that vampires have allied with Voldemort," she said suddenly and Harry stiffened as the class shook from the blunt statement and broke out in worried and nervous whispers and flinches. Professor Opacre continued, voice unusually serious, her eyes looking upon them unflinchingly. "Well...it's true."

A few gasps of horror met her statement but instead of accusations and shouts, silence was the vampire's overwhelming response. Harry could see a bunch of students staring at her, some with looks as if they were expecting such a thing and were justified in mistrusting her, some with wary looks as if unsure of what to think. Others were looking hopeful, as if waiting for an explanation so they could continue to trust.

Harry wondered where she was going with all this.

"I want you all to know that I'm not at all affiliated with them," she continued, peacefully. "In fact, I'm quite opposed to them. But that's for a separate topic. What I do know is that wizards and vampires are becoming closer." She smiled slightly. "I'm glad for that. I'm glad to meet students such as yourselves, despite the difficulties our two species face.

"However," she sighed, "I'm not naive. In light of this recent knowledge, I've thought maybe it would be best if you got more than just lecture and secondhand knowledge. I mean, that's really all it is. I can tell you all sorts of things about us but I don't think you'll really understand it without firsthand knowledge to supplement your learning. And I don't want any of you to gain that experience from situations where you face true danger."

She smiled suddenly, face blooming with a smile of light. Against the somber atmosphere she had created before, it was strange and startling and seemed only more fully emphasized with warmth and kindness.

"I like you guys," she said, gently, and even those with looks of mistrust on their face seemed convinced by the honesty of the statement.

"So," she said, straightening up and folding her hands in front of her, she smiled cheerfully at them, "That is why today you will duel against my brother."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Myn, this totally shows how much you like them. *facepalm*


	21. Jewels

"I'm sorry," Seamus said loudly, finally breaking the silence left in the wake of Professor Opacre's cheerful declaration. "I must've gone temporarily mad. I _thought_ I heard you say _we_ were going to _fight_ a _vampire_."

"No, no," Professor Opacre replied reassuringly. As the class started to relax, she grinned and continued. "Only _some_ of you are going to _duel_ against my _brother_." She paused. "Who does happen to be a vampire so I guess you are right about that part."

The silence continued for another minute and when it was clear that no one else was going to speak up, the blonde rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Oh, really," she huffed. "You're just as bad as the other classes, I was expecting better. I had to start telling people not to warn others in case people decided to ditch." She shook her head. "I don't see what the fuss is all about - "

"You don't?" Theodore Nott finally managed to put out, voice cracking.

Professor Opacre tilted her head. "No."

The eyes of several students widened incredulously. Before any of them could voice their profound objection though, a low drawl penetrated the tense atmosphere.

"I told you this was a bad idea, Soror," Lest said from the corner of the room he had been lounging in. "You can't expect a bunch of _children_ to suddenly grow a spine and take a risk."

At this, Harry felt the objection falter in his classmates, pushed aside by their indignation. More than one pair of eyes shot a heated glare to the male vampire and not all of them were Slytherin. Beside him, Ron muttered under his breath, "Bastard. Bet he wouldn't say that if he knew half the things we've been up against." Hermione shushed him while Harry aimed a subtle kick at the redhead's foot.

Running from overgrown spiders and being knocked about by large chess pieces wasn't the same as dueling with a thinking, planning, war-experienced vampire. Giving Lest a sidelong glance, in case he might have overheard Ron's comment in the quiet of the classroom, he saw the vampire still looking nonchalantly at the bristling students.

 **::It's not a big deal::** Qye said absently. Harry started, almost forgetting about the boy in his surprise and unease of Professor Opacre's pronouncement.

**_::What?::_**

**::Fighting Lest.::**

**_::How would you know?::_** Harry frowned inwardly, interested. Had Qye actually _fought_...no, it couldn't be.

"I can see we're going to have some resistance about this," Professor Opacre said in a dry voice, cutting off the students' protest and Qye's response before it began.

"Resistance?" Seamus spoke, voice high-pitched. "I know I'm a Gryffindor but there's a difference between being brave and being _suicidal_."

"Merlin, if the _Gryffindor_ can see the stupidity in this..." Zabini muttered.

"Your whining is well acknowledged," the female vampire said, rolling her eyes. "It does not change the fact that it's going to happen however."

"Look," Professor Opacre said, resuming her reassuring voice. The students' faces did not change. "I told you, this has been entirely cleared by the Headmaster and your respective Head of Houses. I won't tell you how far I had to go to push it past Professor Snape," the blonde muttered the last part in a lower voice. She cleared her throat and raised her voice again. "None of your friends from the other classes are missing, maimed, or otherwise harmed. That should say you'll get out of this just fine."

She raised a challenging eyebrow. "Or do you want to be the _only_ class to opt out of this simple exercise?" The professor smirked knowingly when several students shifted uncomfortably and eyed each other.

Moving behind her desk, Professor Opacre gestured to the small clear bag containing the multicolored vials. "I've taken the liberty of procuring some simple healing potions from Professor Snape - so you _know_ it's safe," she said, pointedly not looking at the suspicious Slytherins. "It's just in case things get rough, which they will not as my brother will keep strictly to the limits I've set." At this she turned to her brother. “Right?"

The vampire said nothing. Harry followed the trail of his eyes and found himself staring at Draco Malfoy. He couldn't see the Slytherin's face but it most likely matched Lest's emotionless expression.

He wondered if he should speak up and point out the obvious stupidity of allowing those two to fight.

"Lest?" Professor Opacre asked curiously, not yet having caught where her brother was staring.

The vampire broke his stare and turned to his sister with a mild face. She lifted an eyebrow and he shrugged. Clicking her tongue in exasperation, Professor Opacre turned back to the class and ruefully shook her head.

"That's 'of course' in his speak. Trust me," she smiled, "he did well with the others. Furthermore, with the experience he's gained from dueling against the other students, he has a greater knowledge of what your capabilities are and how far he should hold himself back. Now then - "

Hermione's hand shot so fast in the air that Harry almost fell out of his chair.

"Yes, Hermione?" Professor Opacre asked.

Hermione lowered her hand, shooting Harry an apologetic look - to which he gave a half-disgruntled, half-questioning look of his own - and looked at the teacher. "Professor, doesn't that make the duel uneven?" At Professor Opacre's inquisitive look, she continued. "He knows what we're capable of but taking away what you've taught us - which is hardly great in information of how vampires duel - we hardly know what to expect."

"And that is the main reason why we're doing this, Hermione," Professor Opacre responded calmly. "So you have even the smallest bit of experience to take with you should you ever find yourself in such a situation."

At this, Harry silently wondered when such an opportunity would arise.

"But," the female vampire continued, spreading her hands, "it's not like I'm going to let you duel without giving you a bit more information on how exactly we duel." She turned slightly and gestured for her brother to come forward, which he silently did, to the front of her desk. "I"m going to give you a very brief introduction on the fighting styles of vampires. I'll elaborate more later but right now I just want you to pay close attention and grasp a basic understanding.

"Now then, vampires typically engage in hand to hand combat so most are typically well versed in at least one fighting style, if at least just refined punching, kicking and dodging. But as you're wizards - and I doubt very many of you know such things, not to mention what the school would do to me if one of you broke something by just flailing wildly - you will deal with long distance duels, at least ten feet.

"We haven't reached this part of vampire culture yet," she said absently, pushing back a sleeve of her robe. "It's discussed later in your texts despite the fact that this is a keystone aspect of our society." As her sleeve was firmly tucked up, a small silver bracelet on her wrist was revealed from which a small stone hung suspended on a delicate chain. "At the beginning I was unsure as whether or not I should present this but giving that it _is_ so integral..." She trailed off and shook her head.

"Well, it doesn't matter," she continued, clearing her throat. She drew her wrist up in front of her so everyone could see the stone twirling on its thin chain, the light of the room bouncing off the brown and yellow. "I suppose I should start at the beginning," she mused. "Well, the beginning as we accept it.

"My mother told me this story when I was little, before my brother was born," Professor Opacre said quietly, light blue eyes gazing at the spinning jewel. "The Earth was lush and green, full of vitality and at the beginning of its life. The Moon meanwhile hung suspended above it, beautiful in its distance. And on the Moon were hundreds of thousands of millions of precious stones. They were the creations of the Goddesses of the Moon, Goddesses who adored the Earth. And one day, these Goddesses decided to give gifts to the creations of the Earth, humans.

"Selene gave light so that humans would not live in constant fear of the darkness, unable to discern what lay within it." A small, wry smile graced the vampire's lips. She shook her head slightly and continued. "Helene decided to give the precious stones to the humans, the stones that were the beauty of the Moon. The stones fell to the Earth and the humans ran to the falling rocks to embrace the gift of the Goddess. All were ignorant of the different ways of the Moon and Earth, particularity gravity's ways.

"The precious stones fell and fell and when they finally made it, as humans stood to accept the gift of Helene, the stones struck. Humans were injured and their blood spilled on the stones. The stones, having lost the strength of the Moon, instead took strength from the spilled blood.

"Some think that from these stones, that changed their strength from the Moon to blood, were the first vampires, the _excolere nosferatu_. The stones that fell and took the blood and lives of humans became beasts, the _incultus nosferatu_.

"As a result of the chaos, some humans became violent and wanted the stones for themselves, enchanted by the beauty and tugged by their own blood. Others ran away into the light of Selene and kept to the sunlight, where stones could not follow as they came by Helene's darkness. That is our origin."

Professor Opacre went quiet, eyes still watching the suspended stone. Then she turned her eyes to the silent class and smiled slightly. "Or, at least, that's the fairy tale our parents tell us." She winked and the spell was broken.

"Whatever the case," Professor Opacre sighed, straightening up, "these stones, these _jewels_ , are an integral part of our society and our main tool in dueling.

"The jewels are only accessible to pureblooded vampires, meaning vampires that were born vampires. People who were turned into a vampire do not have jewels of their own. If they're particularly strong, they might be able to use the jewel of the vampire that turned them, _if_ that vampire is a pureblood. However, even then, they would not be able to use the power of the jewel at its maximum potential if they had been pureblood.

"This is my Gemmae, a tiger eye," Professor Opacre said, twisting her wrist to move the brown and gold stone around. "A jewel given to a female vampire is called a Gemmae while a jewel given to a male vampire is called a Gemmus." She gestured to her brother, who looked a little disgruntled. He reached to his neck, beneath his shirt. He paused for a moment and then, lips tightening, he pulled out a necklace and quickly flipped around what looked like a pendant. In the middle lay a stone in the shape of a teardrop that looked...was that...

"Is that pink?" Harry blurted out before he could stop himself.

The exclamation broke the class from their enchanted spell. They all turned to him and he could feel his cheeks heating up dramatically. It didn't help that Lest shot him a dirty look as he quickly hid his necklace beneath his shirt again.

Out of sight, Qye exuded a large amount of shock and hilarity.

As Harry slid further down into his seat, his eyes almost parallel with the desk, Professor Opacre's eyes danced in his direction. "Yes, Harry," she replied, voice full of laughter. "My brother's Gemmus happens to be the rose quartz."

"Does that mean he outranks you?" Dean asked curiously, barely remembering to raise his hand halfway through his question. When Professor Opacre turned confused eyes towards him, he elaborated. "I mean, is a rose quartz stronger than a tiger eye?"

"Why would it be?" Professor Opacre asked, baffled.

"You mean there isn't an order of rank for jewels?" Zabini jumped in, not even bothering to raise his hand as his hazel eyes demanded answers.

The female vampire's eyebrows shot up, understanding sweeping her face. "Oh," she chuckled, finally dropping her arm back to her side. "No, nothing like that. How to explain this..."

"The strength of a vampire with his or her jewel depends on how well they resonate together," Lest said quietly and eyes moved to him. They snapped back to Professor Opacre when she snapped her fingers and grinned.

"That's right, how well we resonate." Seeing their still confused faces, she continued. "Here, to give you a little more background, let me explain how our jewels are given to us.

"During the nine months when pureblood vampires are in the womb, parents look through different precious stones, trying to see what best seems to resonate with the child. I can't go into specifics of how that is done but by the time of labor, the parents have at least four different stones picked out that seem to work best with the child.

"When born, there is one stone that seems to resonate best with the child. The jewel is then bound to the child - once again, not going into specifics but that's more because I don't think any of you wish to hear about the process - to be given to the vampire when they begin Maturation.

"Maturation is a process every vampire goes through, both created and pureblood. Created vampires experience it as they turn so it's a quick thing as they inherit all their abilities during the process. For pureblood vampires, they all start it at the age of 16, during the end of their puberty. Females finish at 17 and males finish at 18." Here she paused and a smirk came onto her face, playful blue eyes glancing at her brother. "You know how guys are always late."

Lest gave her an unamused look.

"Anyway," she continued, looking away from her brother grinning, "once they finish Maturation, they come away as strong as they'll ever be with their jewel. So both Lest and I are at our peak, unable to get any stronger or weaker than we are now for the rest of our lives.

"As to how strong we are, that depends on two things: how well we resonate with our jewel and how well we did in our Maturation.

"Resonation is how well vampires deal with their jewel." She gave them an apologetic look. "I'm sorry I can't explain better but it's something you really have to be born with to understand, to know the feel of your jewel. The better a vampire resonates with his or her jewel, the stronger they'll be. If they don't resonate well at all - perhaps due to the parents making a bad choice in stone at birth - then they are unlikely to perform well with their jewel. The same goes if they have high fluctuations in their resonation. Such wildly differing resonations from low to high and so forth will typically lead to an unstable relationship between a jewel and their vampire.

"Another factor is how well a vampire increases harmonization during Maturation. By harmonization, I mean increasing resonation so that a jewel is practically a part of the vampire. I can't explain the process very well, mostly due to limitations set by kind as to how much I can. All I can say is some vampires do it well and others...fail, through their own personal faults or perhaps outside forces. Whatever a pureblood comes out by the time they finish Maturation, however, will be the final result."

Zabini shot another question when Professor Opacre paused for breath. "So, _is_ your brother stronger than you?"

The female vampire stopped and stared at him. The Slytherins around him shuffled nervously and some even edged away as they caught sight of the withering look in her eyes. _'Well, that's what he gets for asking such a stupid question,'_ Harry thought, sharing a brief moment of amusement with Qye.

"You can't put such labels," she said stiffly. "We all have different jewels and abilities and manners in which we use them. For example, my defensive skills are much more effective than those of my brother and my telekinetic abilities happen to be easier to employ - "

"Yes, I'm stronger than her," Lest cut in with an extremely bland tone of voice. "I can now take her on without even exerting my full strength."

 _'Now?'_ Harry pondered.

 **::Lucky bastard::** Qye muttered and didn't elaborate when Harry made a curious sound. The rest of the class was again silent but this time Harry could hear a few coughs that sounded too much like cover ups. A few Slytherins weren't even bothering to hide their smirks.

"You know what?" Professor Opacre broke in irritably, crossing her arms. "I think you have more than enough information to go on." She waved a hand at them, moving off her desk. "Up you go, to the back of the room with all of you unless you wish to be the first guinea pig."

The mirth quickly vanished as did the students from their seats as they all hastily made their way to the back of the room. Harry lifted an eyebrow as Ron caught his and Hermione's sleeves and tugged them back, barely managing to grab his bag. As they moved, he saw Professor Opacre lightly flick her hands. The desks scraped lightly against the floor as they settled themselves neatly against the sides of the room, leaving an open, clear space in the middle. The first time Professor Opacre had used telekinesis in front of them - to absently bring a textbook to her - had been startling but now they were use to her doing it for simple things. It wasn't far off from using a Summoning or Banishing Charm except without a wand.

It didn't escape his notice that Draco took his time gathering his materials from his desk, leaving him as one of the few not running to the back of the room. "Ha ha, you're cute," he thought he heard Professor Opacre mutter when she caught sight of him standing by his desk, straightening the sleeves of his robes. She not-so-gently edged Draco with a finger and Harry caught sight of the smirk he tossed the vampire over his shoulder before he moved next to the rest of the students, stopping right in the front.

"Now then," Professor Opacre said, clapping her hands together and smiling at the huddled group, some taking Neville's example and shrinking back so as to avoid being seen, "who wants to be first?"

There was silence in the classroom.

To date, this had been the most silent the class had ever been since the beginning of the year. Harry's eyes roamed across the Gryffindors and Slytherins and if it hadn't been for the differently colored House badges, one would think they were all the same. The same shuffling footsteps, quiet so as to not attract attention. The same downcast eyes, so when Professor Opacre's gaze swept the crowd, they would not meet her and be forced to speak. Just a little while ago, these same students were glaring at one another and yet now, Harry could see Pansy Parkinson and Parvati Patil edging behind Blaise Zabini, pushing him forward while he tried to stand his ground behind Draco.

And Draco...while the others refused to meet Professor Opacre's eyes, it looked like it was Professor Opacre trying to avoid the challenging look on the Slytherin's face.

"Does no one want to volunteer?" Professor Opacre asked, raising an eyebrow. At the continued avoidant behavior, she raised her hand and from the podium the class roll lifted up and floated towards her. "I suppose that means I'll have to start randomly choosing students then..."

At that moment, Harry suddenly felt a creeping sensation run along his spine.

 _'What?'_ he thought, furrowing his brow. He turned back to the class and felt his mouth drop slightly in shock as he found almost every eye pinned on him, both Gryffindor and Slytherin. ' _What the...why are they looking at me?'_ he thought nervously, taking a small step away from the overwhelming stares.

"Cowards," he heard Ron hiss behind him and his green eyes looked back and blinked when he noticed the redhead's glare at the rest.

"You know it's going to happen anyway, Ron!" someone said from the group in a low whisper and Harry's eyes spun back to see Seamus hiding behind an embarrassed Dean. "Might as well get a move on."

"Finnegan's actually got point," Nott hissed, back pressed against the back wall. "Just accept your fate, Potter, and do your little hero thing!"

"Don't talk to him like that!" Hermione whispered back furiously. "I fail to see how you - _any_ of you - have the right to tell him what to do just because you're all so craven!"

"Then why don't you go up, Granger?" Parkinson muttered, pushing Zabini forward a bit more. The dark-haired boy shot her a burning glare as he was forced to take a step forward before holding his ground.

"Why don't you, Parkinson?" Ron snarled back in a low voice and Harry blinked when his friend grabbed his sleeve. "He's not going to do it."

"For the love of Merlin," Zabini growled, hazel eyes snapping over to them. "Look, it's nothing personal, Weasley! It'll just make things easier if _he_ \- "

"What are you talking about?" Harry finally broke in, frustrated. He kept glancing back at Professor Opacre through the quiet argument but she just seemed to be idly perusing the parchment. She didn't appear to hear their whispers but he certainly didn't want to draw attention to himself and -

At that moment, understanding flashed over him and he turned indignantly back to his classmates.

"Are you _kidding_ me?" Harry said hotly. "I am _not_ volunteering to fight _him_!"

"Something the matter, Harry?"

_'Damn it!'_

"Um," Harry replied, flushing as Professor Opacre smiled curiously at him, a bright look in her eyes. She obviously expected him to step forward and volunteer to be the first duelist. A list of swears ran continuously through his mind as he stammered and tried to think a way out of this.

 **::Why?::** Qye asked curiously and Harry's hand twitched in surprise, too distracted by his panic to control his reaction.

 ** _::Why?::_** Harry hissed. **_:You're as crazy as the rest of them,_ why _would I want to fight Lest?::_**

**::I told you, it's not a big deal - ::**

**_::I'm sure it isn't but people already have the wrong impression about us...I mean, him and me...I mean...agh! It's not happening!::_**

**::You're spazzing::** Qye noted and Harry noticed he was still just giving off stammers. Professor Opacre's eyes had started to crinkle in concern so he bit his lip and stared back at her, not sure what to do next. **::You know, I could help you - ::**

"I'll do it," a voice suddenly spoke from next to him and Harry turned loving, grateful, worshiping eyes to Hermione, who straightened up, brown eyes determined. She caught his gaze and gave him a small smile. The smile was replaced with an exasperated look when the others around them whispered their thanks. Zabini, still hiding Parvati and Parkinson, rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath how he should have known she'd be the one to take charge.

"Ah," Professor Opacre said, a surprised but pleased look appearing on her face. She shook her head and beamed at Hermione, who was already stepping forward with her wand. "That's wonderful, thank you, Hermione!"

Hermione nodded, pausing in the middle of the room. Lest had already moved to stand on the right side of the classroom, lounging against the pushed back desks. When Professor Opacre beckoned him, he straightened up and moved to the middle, stopping a fair distance away from Hermione. He quirked an eyebrow down at her and Harry couldn't help but feel a tinge of pride when she defiantly raised her chin at him. It might've looked ridiculous to the others, Hermione's small form against Lest's tall stature, but to him, it looked like a rather even fight.

"Good, you're both at a rather nice distance from each other," Professor Opacre observed, moving to stand behind her desk. "Now, everyone, pay close attention to the distance when dueling. How far apart Hermione and my brother are should be the amount you aim for if you do not wish to engage in hand-to-hand combat, which, I must remind you, most vampires have at least a basic training in. So unless you're well versed in such fighting, please do not attempt it.

"When I give the signal - raising and dropping my arm - please begin. Do _not_ bow to your vampire opponent, Hermione, as I hear you would do in a wizarding duel. That would be a foolish opportunity that even the weakest of vampires would take advantage of. You may use whatever spells, hexes and yes, even curses, to either immobilize my brother, knock him unconscious or, if this had been a real duel, kill him."

Harry knew his eyes weren't the only ones to shoot over to Professor Opacre's calm face at the last part of her instructions. She merely looked back at them impassively and Harry tore his eyes away, a bit of concern welling up at him as he looked at Hermione gazing at Lest with a determined look in her eyes, wand held lightly but ready.

"Now then," he heard Professor Opacre say and from his peripheral vision, he saw the female vampire raise her arm. It hung there for a moment, and then dropped.

" _Confundo_!" Hermione shouted, flicking her wand towards Lest. Harry could feel the blast of magic make its mark and knew Hermione had made it as strong as possible, taking this duel seriously.

Lest merely stared at Hermione, arms folded across his chest.

A moment passed, then another, and as Hermione slowly lowered her wand, a frown on her face, Lest - miraculously - raised an eyebrow.

"Oh," he drawled. "Were you expecting that to work?"

Hermione's shock was evident to Harry even from the back of the room and he heard a few disturbed murmurs pass through the rest of the crowd, a few of them shifting uncomfortably, some even mumbling to themselves to not use that spell. Harry didn't move his eyes from the duel where Lest was just staring amusedly at an unsettled Hermione, neither of them moving. That prickle of concern welled up in him again and he wondered for a moment if this duel was really as even as he had thought.

"That's not going to work," he thought he heard Ron murmur behind him and he glanced quizzically at his friend but the redhead didn't continue. He was only looking at the pair with a resigned expression on his face.

"Granger's spells never mess up," Zabini muttered and a few people agreed uneasily.

"I suggest you try something else," Lest said smoothly, voice silencing the whispers.

His voice seemed to bring Hermione out of her daze because her face firmed up and she waved her wand again, hand deft and brown eyes further determined.

" _Stupefy_!" she cried out.

Once again, Harry could feel the strength of her magic and knew from the aim of her wand that the spell found its mark again. However, yet again, Lest stood in place, unmoving. The students shifted again but Hermione didn't let her shock hold her for long, moving to her next spell. Hermione's wand flicked over to where a small but heavy inkpot rested on a pushed back desk behind Lest and it flew towards him, aiming towards the back of his head.

This time, Lest moved.

But he didn't move his entire body. Arms still folded, he tilted his head just enough that the inkpot brushed past him and Hermione had to duck the rushing object, making it crash into the wall behind her. Throughout that, Lest never moved his eyes from Hermione.

As she straightened up, Lest gave her slow smile, dark blue eyes flashing slightly.

"Getting a bit aggressive, are we now?" he smirked. Hermione glared at him and she raised her hand, opening her mouth. Before she could utter her next spell, Lest finally unfolded his arms and sighed, shaking his head. "Considering your style, I think we're done. And I don't think you want to see me laughing, Ms. Granger, so I suggest not using that Tickling Charm. "

Harry's eyes widened along with Hermione's in shock. _'How did he know what spell she was going to use?'_

 **::Son of a bitch::** Qye suddenly broke in, voice heavily laced with irritation. Before Harry could ask, the duel, quite suddenly, finished.

In the midst of Hermione freezing in shock, Lest waved a hand. Her wand shot out of her hand and landed neatly in his palm before she could finish squeaking in surprise.

"You have no wand and no knowledge of hand-to-hand combat, leaving you with no way to defend yourself," Lest said quietly, all trace of mocking and smirking gone as he looked at her. He glanced over to Professor Opacre, who was straightening from the wall she had been leaning against to watch the duel. "The duel's mine, Soror."

"So it is," she sighed, walking over to the middle of the room. She held out her hand and Lest gave her Hermione's wand, which she returned to the dazed girl.

"You did very well, Hermione," Professor Opacre smiled kindly at Hermione, who blinked. The vampire gently edged her and Hermione walked back to them, only pausing momentarily to look back uncertainly at Lest. Lest, however, seemed to have forgotten about her as her resumed his crossed-armed pose with a bored expression.

"Now then, Hermione did well," Professor Opacre said, raising her voice to the class as Hermione rejoined them. "As well as could be expected from the knowledge provided."

Harry placed a hand on Hermione's arm as she resumed her place next to him and he gave her a grin, which she returned half-heartedly, a frustrated look in her eyes. Harry smiled as he realized she was annoyed for having lost the duel. He hid his relief as Neville whispered his amazement at the spells, Seamus thanked her for going first and Ron smugly kept silent even as Hermione glared at him. With a glance at the innocent clear bag on Professor Opacre's desk, Harry thought it could have gone a lot worse.

"Now, does anyone care to share why exactly Hermione lost?" Professor Opacre asked finally, after the Gryffindors hurriedly finished their congratulations. There was a silent response, even from the Slytherins, as Hermione frowned in their midst. Professor Opacre chuckled and grinned at them. "Okay, I see your point."

"Well, the first spells she did were aimed for the mind, did you notice?" she asked and a few murmurs ran through the crowd.

"But they didn't work," Zabini frowned. His hazel eyes glanced grudgingly over at Hermione, who still look irritated. "And even I have to admit Granger's execution is flawless."

"Yes, but you missed the point," Professor Opacre stated easily. "One was aimed to confuse the mind and the other to essentially shut it down. Now, from what you've learned this year, I would've thought you would've already known vampires have great strength with their minds." She raised an eyebrow. "Telekinesis, telepathy, ring any bells?"

"Oh!" Hermione suddenly said, jumping and flushing. Harry blinked at her and Professor Opacre laughed.

"Yes, I thought you'd figure it out after I took you out of the situation, Hermione," Professor Opacre smiled. Addressing the class, she continued. "Spells aimed to interrupt the mind or brain will, I assure you, fail. Since a vampire has so much training - simple, instinctive, day-to-day training - with using their minds to control their abilities, it's no wonder they'll immediately recognize an attack on it and be able to cut it off, or at least mount a suitable defense. Furthermore, since our minds _are_ so advanced and wired differently to work on these abilities, it'll be harder for such spells to effectively penetrate and work properly. Therefore, I'd advise against using such spells."

"But he said - " Neville begin and then stopped, turning a bright red when every eye turned to him. He slouched further down, edging to hide behind the group. "Never mind," he muttered.

"No, go on, Neville," Professor Opacre said encouragingly. "What was that?"

Neville looked helplessly around him and finally, after Hermione patted him on the shoulder with a smile on her face, swallowed and continued. "But he said Hermione was going to use a Tickling Charm and she didn't even say anything and he didn't even _see_ the inkpot and I don't know," he finished, looking slightly green in the face.

Professor Opacre merely smiled and nodded. "I'm glad you caught on to that, Neville!" she said cheerfully and the awkward Gryffindor blinked, looking slightly surprised.

"Did you use Videte or..." Professor Opacre trailed off, turning to look at her brother with a curious expression.

"I used Videte for the inkpot and a brief, superficial scan for the others," he responded quietly and she nodded thoughtfully before turning back to the class.

"One of the telepathic tools vampires employ is Videte," she explained. "Basically, my brother used his mind to enhance his vision so he could 'see' things that aren't in his immediate line of vision. It's not something many vampires can do and those that can _don't_ do it all the time since it is rather draining to be focused on your immediate and distant environment at the same time. However, if you find yourself fighting a vampire, I suggest taking the assumption that they have the ability. Launch your physical attacks quickly so that even if they see them coming, they don't have time to react." She paused. "And I suppose that brings me to him knowing about the spell before she uttered it."

She focused her eyes on them and Harry was taken aback by how serious they were. "If you ever have to duel a vampire, if there is at least one thing to know about dueling them it is that you _do not think about dueling them_."

"What?" Seamus said loudly, finally coming out of his cowering and looking incredulously at her. "What does that mean? How are you - "

"That is something you'll have to control," Professor Opacre said dryly. She shook her head. "Look, vampires have telepathy, right?" She waited for them to nod before continued. "Vampires can read minds." She glanced at Seamus. "Yes, Mr. Finnegan, I've known you've been talking to the Hufflepuffs since the beginning of the year," she smirked.

 **::Bastard, I knew it::** Qye mumbled and Harry's eyes widened.

 ** _::You knew?::_** he asked incredulously.

 **::I had an idea::** Qye admitted. Then he growled. **::That's just cheating though! I can't believe Myn's letting him get away with it.::**

**_::I think that's the least of problems - ::_ **

"Bit of an invasion of privacy then, isn't it?" Harry jerked and came back as the icy voice cut through the room. It was the first time since class started that he heard Draco speak and when Harry's eyes glanced at him, he saw a hard expression on his pale face.

"You know the laws about them so stop stirring up trouble, Malfoy," Lest cut in before his sister could reply. His blue eyes glared coldly back at the Slytherin. "And I've heard wizards have their own ways of mind-reading so not much to talk, are you?"

"At least we know when it's coming," Draco shot back.

"Like that's - "

"Boys, I'm going to throw each of you in a corner if you don't behave," Professor Opacre muttered, sending her brother and Draco a stern look each. They glared but thankfully stayed silent. She sighed and turned back to the alarmed class, raising her hands in a placating manner.

"Look, at the level my brother was doing it, he didn't see any deep, dark secrets. All he knew was what she was immediately thinking of doing in action and even that was at an abstract level. If he went any deeper, she would've felt something, perhaps like a tingling sensation that would have grown in intensity the further he went. She might have been able to prevent him from doing so..." She paused and winced. "Well...I wouldn't count on it if he really wanted to find something out but as you may have heard, there are several laws, many of them severe, if he ever went out of line. So you have nothing to worry about either of us reading your mind."

Harry felt the tightening in his shoulders ease slightly but the others looked much how he still felt, with slight hints of unease and suspicion.

Professor Opacre must have noticed it and sighed, nodding. "Yes, well, I suppose you'll just have to take that on faith. Either way, you should expect something along those lines if you fight a vampire. They'll take any advantage they can get, especially forewarning of attacks. That's why it's best to not think or plan far ahead when dueling." She spread her hands apologetically. "I know it'll be hard so you should probably start training to not think as you send out your spells. Another reason my brother reacted so quickly to Hermione throwing that inkpot is that she must have thought about it before she did it, so he knew what she was going to do. Added to his Videte so that he knew where the inkpot was coming from, he didn't have to move much to avoid the attack.

"A tip: the minute you think of your attack, do it and do it fast. It's the only way to win and if you ever face a vampire seriously...well, winning means living."


	22. Fights, Fights and No Fights

With Professor Opacre's solemn words, the following duels were focused and grimly determined. Each contestant stepped forward, in their eyes a look saying they didn't want to lose against the vampire, determined to at least break even with Lest. Yet they all seemed to end the same way.

Zabini followed after Hermione, and had used a ' _Muffliato_ ' immediately, thinking if Lest couldn't hear the spells, he'd be less likely to respond. Unfortunately, the muffling spell seemed as effective as Hermione's initial spells. He lost the duel the minute he shouted ' _Obscuro_ ' as Lest had been heavily irritated at the attack against his vision. Zabini had crashed against the floor with a wave of Lest's hand and telekinesis with his wand flying into Lest's other hand. Zabini walked away with more bruises to his ego than his body.

Dean had gone next and had attempted to immobilize Lest physically, moving from ' _Levicorpus_ ' to ' _Petrificus Totalus'_ to ' _Incarcerous_ '. All that had done was make Lest move more than any other duel, seemingly able to tell when and where the next attack was coming. As the ropes started to fall from the last spell, having completely missed their target, they stopped midway and flew towards Dean. Professor Opacre had to spend the next five minutes explaining what went wrong and other helpful hints while she struggled with the complicated knots.

Crabbe and Goyle both had the bright idea that wands evidently weren't going to work. It took possibly only a second, both of them taking a step forward and flexing their muscles before Lest knocked them to the ground, standing over their dazed forms and twirling their wands.

These defeats didn't bother Harry. Or rather, more specifically, annoy him. What _annoyed_ him was the way Lest drawled out mockingly helpful tips as each student's face showed how desperate they were trying not to think. Lest smirked at each student as they slumped away with their returned wands and Harry could feel his fingers twitch in annoyance each time, silently rooting for the following contestant, whether they'd be Gryffindor or Slytherin.

 **::He's just being himself::** Qye had tried halfheartedly when Harry's eyebrow twitched as Seamus flew across the room.

 ** _::You can't tell me this isn't annoying you::_** Harry demanded as he watched Lest dangle the Irish boy's wand in front of him mockingly. **_::Yes, he's winning, he doesn't have to flaunt it! He's war-experienced and had time to learn from the other classes! He's making it seem like we're first-years trying out for N.E.W.T.s::_** he seethed.

 **::...yes, I would really like to kick his ass:** Qye admitted. **::And you know it's bad because I'm even feeling sorry for Finnegan::** he sighed.

"Well, I see these practices have been useful," Professor Opacre said cheerfully as she dusted off a trembling Daphne Greengrass and sent her to the back. Her blue eyes glanced at the clock on her desk and she sighed. "It looks like we only have time for a few more duels, maybe one really good one." She turned back to them and winked. "I expect these final duels to go well since I assume all of you have at least learned a few things, yes?"

"That there's no way to win against a vampire?" Nott muttered as he rubbed his elbow from where it had hit the ground when he had faced Lest. "Yes, I'd say that lesson's pretty well-learned."

"I heard that, Theodore," Professor Opacre said, rolling her eyes. The scrawny Slytherin merely shrugged. She sighed and looked at the resigned group. "Really? No one wants to give it a shot?"

Harry glanced around at his classmates and even though there was still a fair amount of people who hadn't fought yet, they were all acting as they had at the beginning, with downcast eyes and disheartened spirits. He felt his fingers twitch and he didn't even think about it, wanting so badly to erase that arrogant expression -

"I'll do it, Professor."

Heads whipped around and Harry and Hermione stared wide-eyed, slack-jawed as Ron sighed and raised his hand. Professor Opacre lit up and clapped her hands.

"Oh good, thank you, Ron!" she chirped, gesturing for him to come forward. He nodded and unpocketed his wand. Harry and Hermione moved aside, still bewildered by his sudden offering. As he passed them, he paused. Harry blinked as Ron gave him a look.

"Do not fight him," Ron muttered, glaring at him. Harry stared and Ron pointed a finger at him threateningly. "I mean it, I'll tell my Mum all sorts of things so that you'll be mothered until you'll want to _kill_ yourself if you do so."

"What the - " Harry began, an incredulous look on his face. Ron stabbed his finger and Harry raised his hands. "Alright, geez," he mumbled. The redhead resumed his trek to the middle of the room.

Professor Opacre blinked at Ron as the redhead stopped the accepted distance away from her brother and stood stiffly, staring at the male vampire with a stoic expression.

"Um," she said, blinking. Harry flushed as he realized she must've seen if not heard Ron's little intimidation. ' _Wonderful,'_ he groaned silently to himself. _'As if I need it to look like I can't take care of myself even more.'_

It got worse when her brother raised a cool eyebrow at the silent Weasley, his arms folded loosely across his chest.

"Watching out for your little friend?" Lest said mockingly, blue eyes flicking slightly over to where Harry was standing. Harry met his gaze for only a moment before turning his eyes back to his friend, teeth gritting.

 _'Who is he calling **little**?' _ He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. This vampire seemed to be a never-ending source of problems for him since the moment they'd met and his desire to see him bested grew more.

 **::Great, a moral dilemma::** Qye growled. **::Do I cheer on Lest, who needs a serious knock off his damn pedestal, or do I cheer on Weasley, as much as it would pain me to do so?::**

 ** _::Ron::_** Harry firmly said, eyes locked on the redhead and silently willing him to at least break even with Lest.

 **::The world must be ending::** Qye moaned. **::Feeling bad for Finnegan and rooting for Weasley. I can't take much more of this.::**

"Looks like your little friend doesn't need much protecting," he heard Lest drawl as he kept his eyes firmly on Ron. The redhead's face tightened slightly but surprisingly didn't turn red. He didn't even make a comment as he kept his eyes firmly on the vampire. A few murmurs rose from the Gryffindors, surprised at his lack of temper, and Harry felt Hermione drop a tense hand on his arm.

"Lest, stop antagonizing," Professor Opacre scolded as she waved a hand at her brother. She moved back behind her desk and raised her hand. Lest merely smiled coolly as Ron tightened his hand on his wand.

" _Incendio_!" Ron snapped out the minute Professor Opacre's hand dropped.

Harry couldn't even begin to explain the rush of pleasure that flooded him as Lest's eyes widened in shock and he _stumbled_ to avoid the flare of fire from Ron's wand. He heard his classmates exclaim - not even bothering to hide their excitement - at finally seeing _someone_ catch the vampire off guard. He even thought he heard Nott shout enthusiastically, "Go Weasley!"

His pleasure was short-lived, however, withering away quickly and replaced with more than a bit of worry when Lest lifted his face from avoiding the flames.

There was no trace of mockery or amusement on that face, hard cobalt eyes narrowed.

Hermione's hand tightened on his arm even as the other students continued to voice their enthusiasm and support.

Movement happened in his peripheral vision and he turned to see Ron lightly shifting from one foot to the next. He blinked, not understanding why Ron was doing such an odd thing but when he glanced back at Lest, the vampire's eyes had narrowed even further and a grimace had appeared on his face.

 **::What the hell is Weasley doing?::** Qye frowned.

 ** _::I don't know::_** Harry responded slowly. **_::It doesn't look like Lest's happy about it though... ::_**

There was no witty quip from Lest as he straightened from where he had hastily moved to avoid the fire. He raised his hand in what was becoming a familiar move to shove contestants down and snatch their wand.

Except this time, the contestant didn't fall. Ron must've seen the gesture because he shifted his feet, catching the push with his left foot behind him and balancing himself with his right foot in front. His wand hand did jerk forward, as if his wand wanted to fly out, but Ron's grip seemed tight and he only jerked forward a bit.

The vampire muttered something too low for Harry to hear, even as the class quieted down, curious about Ron's actions. Lest took a step forward, dropping his hand.

" _Aguamenti_ ," Ron snarled and water burst from his wand. Lest hissed and once again barely managed to dodge the jet, eyes flashing dangerously as he found his bearings on the now slippery floor around him.

 **::Holy hell::** Qye breathed. : **:Weasley's actually pretty good.::**

Before Harry could give his assent, a small book suddenly flew from Professor Opacre's desk, aimed right for Ron's wand hand. Harry sucked in his breath because if Ron lost his grip on his wand -

" _Protego_ ," Ron muttered and the book smacked against the invisible shield, quivering in the air as it was caught between two extreme pressures before clattering to the floor.

"Not bad," Lest commented quietly. Ron's eyes had never left Lest's eyes and –

Harry frowned. Wait. He shifted around, absently arranging Hermione's tense hold so he could see better and...he blinked. Ron wasn't looking at Lest's eyes. It took a few more glances between the two of them but he confirmed it. Lest's eyes were trying to capture Ron's but Ron's always seemed firmly fixated on some other part of the vampire's face, even as he moved from one foot to the other.

"I wonder how good that concentration is?" Lest mused aloud and Harry had just enough time to see a small frown on Ron's face before all the trinkets flew from Professor Opacre's desk.

Over the year, several students had gathered the courage to give small things to the new teacher, their liking increasing their giving nature. Adding to the small items Professor Opacre had collected herself as she interacted with the wizarding world - a wizarding chess piece, a few pieces of jewelry, some Knuts and Sickles and Galleons, a tiny Sneakoscope - there was quite a collection.

And that entire collection flew towards Ron, all at different speeds and distances. A simple Shield Charm wouldn't be able to hold them off.

Ron grimaced and flicked his wand, banishing a few back, and Harry saw Lest flick his own hand in that familiar gesture. Ron's wand jerked out of his hand half way before he regained his grasp. In that small moment, a few trinkets aimed for his hand, to dislodge his grip, and his face, to distract. He managed to dodge them, his constantly shifting feet giving him extra time to move, and Harry exhaled in relief as he didn't lose his wand.

The students were quietly urging Ron on, trying not to distract him from the confusion of constantly falling and banishing and returning trinkets. Harry held his breath because it looked like Ron was even starting to get a lead. Instead of returning trinkets to the desk the redhead started to send them towards Lest, who had to dodge them, feet moving carefully on the slippery surface.

Ron might actually -

And then Lest _smirked_. The small textbook he had thrown at Ron in the beginning - lying innocently just a little way from Ron's feet - shot up and hit the redhead in the back of the knee of the leg that had just shifted back.

Ron's eyes widened and he stumbled. In that second, a few lighter trinkets smacked against the side of his hand, causing it to reflexively loosen just as Lest gestured with his hand again.

The wand fell into Lest's palm just as one last trinket crashed into an unsteady Ron, dropping him to the floor.

All the hope that had swelled up during the duel evaporated and the class was silent again.

"No wand, no fighting techniques sufficient enough to parry me off..." Lest drawled, fingers curling around the wand. He took a step forward and he wasn't even unsteady at all, walking on the watered floor. He stopped, a few feet from where Ron lay on the floor and looked down at the redhead with an unreadable expression.

And then he dropped the wand in his lap.

Here, Ron's face turned red as his blue eyes glared fiercely up at the vampire, hand clenching around his wand, lips tight. And Lest... _smirked_.

' _Well_ ,' Harry thought distantly, a thought as quiet as the rest of the class. His green eyes were locked onto that smirk, even as Ron picked himself off the floor, even as the trinkets and book flew back neatly to the desk, even as Professor Opacre slowly moved from her place. ' _Well then.._.'

"That...that was good, Ron," Professor Opacre said unsteadily. Lest finally turned away from Ron, moving back to his spot as the redhead jerkily dusted himself off. The smirk was still on that face and green eyes stared at it until it disappeared. Only then did they slowly move to Professor Opacre.

There was no smile on her face as she patted Ron the shoulder and sent him along. As he made his way back to the crowd, accepting the halfhearted congratulations of his dorm mates, there was a sharp look in her eyes. She shook her head clearing all traces of it just as Ron turned back around.

"Well," she cleared her throat, forcing a smile on her face. "I suppose after that none of you wish to - "

Harry didn't even need to think about it.

"I'll do it."

Ron's head whirled around but Harry didn't even wait for Professor Opacre's acknowledgement, beginning to push his way through the crowd. The redhead still somehow managed to catch the sleeve of his room and he glanced back at the irate redhead.

"What part of _'do not fight him_ ' did you **_not_** understand?" Ron hissed.

"Your mum already mothers me and is likely to do so until I'm dead," he muttered. "How much worse could it get?"

Ron opened his mouth - probably to tell him it could - but he didn't wait. He pulled his sleeve away and dodged through his curious classmates to the front, wand sliding into his hand. Professor Opacre was beaming at him from the front of the room but he only spared her a glance before he took the spot everyone else had taken, hand tight on his wand. He raised his green eyes as the female vampire thanked him profusely, barely hearing her.

Cool emerald eyes clashed with interested cobalt eyes, Lest raising an eyebrow as Harry gave him a steady look.

 **::Right then::** Qye said and Harry felt the pressure behind his eyes increase more, as if Qye wanted to see this clearly even though he hated viewing when Harry was in motion. **::Well...this should be interesting. ::**

"Remember," Professor Opacre said, voice faraway, as Harry and Lest stared at each other. "Use whatever means necessary to incapacitate my brother, Harry." In the corner of his eye, he saw her hand lifting.

 **::Don't think::** Qye softly reminded him.

Harry's brow furrowed. **_::Wait::_** he suddenly realized, eyes widening slightly. ** _::Can't he hear_ you _?::_**

Professor Opacre's arm dropped.

In the same style that had fallen Ron, the trinkets from Professor Opacre's desk zoomed towards him.

"' _Protego_ '," Harry said automatically because it was just like last year, wasn't it, being pelted with objects by Ron and Hermione in training for the Maze. He didn't even think about it, green eyes glancing only momentarily as the trinkets hit his invisible shield and rebounded, because it was instinct and there were a million other things that were instinct too.

" _Expelliarmus_ ," he called out, flicking his wand out and he saw Lest's eyes widen and narrow as he dodged the blast of red light.

 ** _::Qye? ::_** he thought as he kept half his attention on the duel and his shoulders stiffened because what happened if Lest heard that too?

 **::Keep your head on the battle!::** Qye shouted and his entire right side jerked back, not totally of his control, as several larger trinkets made their way past his shield and aimed for his hand. Harry grimaced and it didn't even require thought, shooting a succession of ' _Expelliarmus_!' at Lest, making the vampire curse in a language that was not English as he moved to avoid the blasts of red lights.

 ** _::Qye::_** Harry urged silently, eyes focused on the moving vampire. **_::Can't he hear that I'm talking to you?::_**

 **::I don't think so:** Qye replied distractedly and his left arm - again, it didn't feel like his action - moved to swipe away a few of the smaller trinkets. **::Didn't Myn say he was only reading your immediate thoughts relating to your actions? ::**

 ** _::My immediate thoughts consist of talking to you::_** Harry snapped and his anxiety slipped into his actions, turning his ' _Expelliarmus_ ' into ' _Reducto_ ' with barely a thought.

Lest jumped back as the first Blasting Charm broke off the leg of one of the desks. The vampire paused for only a moment, shooting Harry a sharp look that he barely noticed before he grimaced and moved to avoid the next ones.

 **::I don't think he can hear this::** Qye said, watching from behind his eyes as Harry pulled back his spells and put up his Shield Charm again. Lest paused, eyes narrowed at him as he stood next to a toppled over desk. **::It's...too deep a level, I think::** Qye said quietly in the lull of battle. Over the blood rushing in his ears Harry could faintly hear a buzz from the class and a murmur from Professor Opacre but his mind was too occupied, too filled with his worries about Qye and a vampire who _just wouldn't go down_.

 **::Myn said you'd be able to feel if a vampire was probing deeper than superficial thoughts, right?::** Qye asked suddenly, causing Harry's wand to twitch and a wizarding chess piece to fly towards Lest. The vampire batted it aside carelessly, sharp blue eyes barely moving from Harry's face.

 ** _::Yeah...::_** Harry said, watching carefully. A bit of tension seeped away from him. ** _::I suppose. Though::_** he said, suddenly realizing as a bit of disappointment appeared, **_::maybe it would've helped with you.::_**

 **::What do you mean?::** Qye asked, frowning.

 ** _::To prove you were real::_** Harry explained and he glanced around, trying to think of his next move. Now that Qye had alleviated his concerns, his burning desire to beat the vampire revived. ** _::Then they could talk with you and get you out of my head::_**

 **::Hm::** was all Qye said.

Before Harry could question that noncommittal response, Lest's voice brought him back to the duel and his green eyes flashed back to the vampire, hand tight on his wand. The duel was over the minute he lost his wand so he couldn't afford to slip on it.

"Are you really this dull-witted?" Lest demanded.

Harry blinked, thrown aback by the burst of frustration that emanated from the vampire's voice.

 **::What the hell is he talking about?::** Qye scowled and Harry narrowed his eyes at the vampire, stiffening slightly.

Was this a new trick? In all the other duels Lest had never once insulted any of the contestants. Even when he used his mocking tone of voice he was still just giving them assistance.

"Good gods, you really don't think at all," Lest muttered. "You must be a simpleton."

Harry gritted his teeth, ready to throw back a few retorts himself.

 **::Harry::** Qye suddenly said and Harry blinked, irritation displaced by the tone of Qye's voice. It sounded suddenly realized and viciously victorious at the same time. **::Harry, he can't hear what you're thinking when you're talking to me.::**

 ** _::What?::_** Harry asked, hand twitching slightly as he eyed the vampire.

 **::Dull-witted is being too nice::** Qye mumbled and Harry watched as Lest narrowed his eyes, mostly in response to his own flashing green. **_::_ He _can't hear what you're thinking...::_**

And just like that, understanding struck him and he couldn't stop the slow smile that spread on his face.

 ** _::...so he can't see what I'm about to do::_** Harry whispered back and Qye just pulsed in the back of his head, full of triumph and anticipation.

"I realize the silence in your head must be of great joy to you," Lest cut into their mutual feeling of coming victory. Harry focused back and the smile wiped off his face as he stared at the vampire. Lest raised an eyebrow, hands by his side. "Do you really need to smile though?"

Harry wasn't going to say anything but his lips moved. "Just thinking about how far you're going to fall from your perch when I beat you."

His green eyes flashed but he didn't say anything to Qye - as it obviously had to be him - because it was okay, watching the vampire's face tighten.

"You going to do better than your friends?" Lest asked and there was that amusement, that mockery, and it conjured visions of Hermione's ineffective spells, Zabini crashing to the floor, Dean mercilessly tied up, Greengrass yelping as projectiles aimed at her hand, Ron so close to winning if it hadn't been for that underhanded ploy and...

Lest smirked.

"Why don't you give it your best shot?" he drawled out coolly, tilting his head to the side.

" _Wingdarium Leviosa_ ," he said calmly and he saw Lest's eyes narrow. No one must have used this spell, a first-year spell quickly learned and forgotten, so innocent. He couldn't see what Harry was thinking so he couldn't know what the spell did, as the broken off leg from the desk Harry had blasted hovered up.

 **::Idiot must be too focused on you to be using that vision thing::** Qye said and there was a tinge of _something_ in his voice but mostly just expectant victory.

The leg hovered and Harry could hear the buzz of his classmates increase but it was all in a second because like Professor Opacre said, things had to happen fast, duels happened fast, like a flash of green light and lost lives. The leg shot towards the vampire's head and Harry had a flash of a club knocking out a troll and it felt fitting to end this with a move Ron had used. It only took a second, the leg levitating up and shooting towards Lest's head with a flick of Harry's wand -

\- and Lest caught it with hand, not even looking behind him.

"You don't honestly think I'm that stupid, do you?" Lest asked calmly. Harry's eyes widened and he felt his shock echo from Qye. "I think it's okay if I break some of my limits with you...Harry."

And he flung the leg towards Harry.

From his lips automatically fell a Shield Charm but his eyes widened even further in shock when the leg continued on through it, dismay filling him in an instant as he saw that it would hit his hand and the duel would be lost -

\- and his body _jerked_ to the left, Qye shouting **::Harry!::** in a worried voice, and the blunt end of the broken leg crashed into his left shoulder with such force it knocked him around and sent him crashing to the floor. His wand slipped from his fingers at the last moment, landing beside his head as he fell and tasted the floor.

And the volume suddenly went up, just a little bit, because he heard the surprised cries from the other students, Hermione's worried voice and Ron's low curses penetrating them and he even thought he heard Professor Opacre cry out to, voice concerned one moment, scolding the next.

"Lest, you idiot!" she shouted far away and there were hurried clicking footsteps coming towards him.

 _'That hurt,'_ he thought fuzzily and coughed. He blinked and slowly started lifting himself up. He winced as his left shoulder protested the movement and used his right hand to rub it as he knelt on the floor, his left hand supporting him.

There would most likely be a bruise but -

Something glinted in the reflection of his glasses and his green eyes blinked as he saw his wand, lying on the floor in front of him.

He blinked again.

Footsteps came closer and he felt a presence behind him as he dropped his hand to the floor.

"Are you okay?"

He froze.

"He'd better be okay or Mother will cry when she's seen what I've done to you," a feminine voice hissed a little further off. His head buzzed and he looked over his shoulder.

Lest's even face met his, standing behind him, hand outstretched to help him up. There was no remorse, no guilt on that calm face, no tremble in the hand or tension in the body as it bent forward slightly. Harry felt his body tense because he had just _pushed_ him to the _ground_ and he wasn't even sorry -

Then his eyes focused and he saw a tightness around those seemingly unaffected eyes.

He dropped his eyes and turned his face back to the ground.

"Harry?" Professor Opacre asked concernedly, voice closer. From the corner of his eye he could see her coming to where he knelt on the ground, clear bag in her hands.

He closed his eyes and cleared his throat. "I'm okay."

On the other side of the classroom, he heard sounds of relief from his classmates and he opened his eyes, beginning to straighten up.

From the quiet of his mind, Qye - voice fiery - spoke. **::Lest _really_ needs to lose.::**

And he could feel his body moving on its own accord, saw his body turn, left hand accept Lest's to get up -

\- and right hand deliver a punch straight across Lest's face.

A look of surprise on the vampire's face before he crashed down to the floor and he heard Professor Opacre's yelp clearly as the rest of the class fell silent, stunned.

Lest's burning eyes snapped up...and widened when they found themselves staring at the end of Harry's wand.

Already he could feel control returning to his body and Qye moving back while he stared at the still vampire on the ground before him. His breathing was steady and he knew every eye was on him. He blinked, only once.

And then he lowered his wand.

"The duel's mine."

His words echoed in the quiet classroom and he saw Lest narrow his eyes, pale face slightly pink from where his fist had made contact.

"And how exactly," the vampire said in a low-pitched voice heard by everyone, "did you come to that conclusion?"

Harry met his gaze unwavering, hand gripping his wand tightly. "Because," he replied quietly, flashes of green light and a terrible darkness clinging to him only a week ago going through his head,"If this had been real, you'd be dead by now."

And then his lips quirked not of his own volition as Lest's eyes narrowed.

"Besides," his voice spoke without him, "that looked like it hurt."

"I was slightly surprised by you hitting me," Lest said stiffly after a moment, pushing himself off the floor and onto his feet, blue eyes glinting dangerously at him. "It wasn't like it was that bad - "

"I was talking about you falling from your high horse," his voice smirked and Harry inwardly sighed as the vampire's eyes widened and then grew considering, lips twitching in obvious amusement.

\------

"You should've just let me hit him," Lest muttered while he held an ice pouch to his cheek, leaning against the room's door post as Marylin finished cleaning up. She left the broken desks off to the side for Filch to pick up when he was doing his rounds. Her light blue eyes shot a quick glare over at her brother as she made the final adjustments to her trinkets.

Did he _really_ have to use them?

"Ha, right," she replied sarcastically, straightening the battered wizarding chess piece. "And be known as the professor that brought down Hogwarts by letting you two have a petty fight? Don't think so." She shuddered as she imagined the chaos that would've happened.

After she had made sure Harry was okay - a few bruises but nothing more than the others received - and hustled him back to the group, she was torn between letting another student try and ending class early. The others had been thrown into stunned disbelief as much as she had been when her mild student _hit_ her brother - who hadn't even lost his temper! - and, even she had to admit, to a small degree she stressed to the others, won.

But as he rejoined them, they evidently snapped out of it and her already frazzled nerves - hesitantly fluttering around a too quiet Lest who was merely thoughtfully looking at Harry while he rubbed his reddening cheek - took another hit when they burst into cheers and whoops. Each of them looked eager and ready to go another round with Lest and she had perked up. The way they had looked, so downtrodden, made her worry they wouldn't be able to face a Dazain if they ever had to. But they had spun around and she was so close to letting them try again...

...until Draco Malfoy had stepped forward.

The Slytherins had perked up, ready to support their Housemate and she heard Seamus whisper of how he was practically the equivalent of Harry and they were all practically making way for him to be the next contestant...

She really didn't have choice, did she? Just brightly smile, explain their faults and strengths, cheerfully tell them their assignments as they confusedly gathered their things and ask them not to warn anyone as she slammed the door behind them.

Let those two fight. Right.

She paused, blue eyes quietly gazing down at her collection as she straightened her battered wizarding rook. Her mind flashed back to the duel between Ron and Lest and she bit her lip as she remembered those shifting feet and obvious lack of eye contact. She knew Draco and Ron weren't even the most civil of schoolmates but as she watched that duel she silently thought about how much the two might actually have in common. If she had known, she wouldn't have let the Weasley boy fight perhaps. At least it hadn't been as it could've been, say with Draco fighting.

"The little bastard needs to be pushed down a peg anyway," Lest muttered, breaking her out of her worried thoughts. She paused, then turned and stared incredulously at her brother who was now glaring at the wall across him.

"I'm sorry but how's that cheek of yours?" she finally asked after a moment and Lest turned his scowl towards her.

"It's not the same thing," he replied stiffly, straightening from his slouch. He put down the make-shift pouch - ice brought by house-elf and her handkerchief - and gingerly touched the colored skin.

"Of course," she rolled her eyes, turning her back on him. "You had that coming." She paused and shook her head. "Though I would've never suspected it would be from Harry," she said ruefully, packing the last of her things in her bag. "Who would've guessed he'd be your worst kind of opponent, huh? A perfect long-range fighter." She grabbed her bag and turned around with an amused expression on her face. "I bet none of them could've guess you're a close-range fighter. I hinted to them that you weren't the greatest with telekinesis or shielding but I guess none of them got that."

"Bragging that you're better than me in those fields does not say anything about my own skills," Lest replied, tossing her an icy look. She shrugged and took his arm.

"Yes, well," she said, locking the door. "Let's see if we can find something for that bruise." She looked up at him. "Still hurt?"

"Could be worse," he said quietly.

A tinge of resignation was in his face but when she questioningly touched his arm, the emotions bled away to an indifferent face and he said nothing more.

\------

"Weasley."

Alert blue eyes snapped up.

A pale eyebrow raised and Ron gritted his teeth as his eyes focused in the dark and found Malfoy leaning against a wall. A wall that he just happened to have to go by to get back to the Gryffindor Common Room with the snacks from the kitchens. Harry's 'victory' was being bragged to every one who had dueled Lest since no one seemed to have been able to beat him. And since Ron had been the closest after him, with Fred and George trailing behind him, a celebration was taking place. He, in effort to calm himself and _not_ strangle his best friend, had volunteered to go for the kitchen run.

And now he had to deal with this git. Well, at least he could vent some of his irritation...

Malfoy must have seen his hand twitch to his wand because he shook his head and moved away from the wall. Ron felt his eyes narrow more as the Slytherin spread his hands before him.

"Just want to talk, Weasley," Malfoy said, sharp eyes looking at his own.

Ron snorted. "Heard that before."

Malfoy's jaw clenched but all he did was let out a long breath and move aside with an expectant look on his face. Ron gritted his teeth because it was obvious the only way he was getting back is if he 'talked' with Malfoy. He weighed the pros and cons, the snacks hindering his movements with a wand, and how long he'd been gone.

He sighed and glared at the blond, stalking past him. "What is it?" he asked shortly.

Malfoy caught up to him and met his pace. They quietly walked until Ron's temper started to rise again. He wanted their chat to be over quickly so he could get back and silently fume at Harry while the rest celebrated. At least Harry was subdued after his match so it wouldn't be like his annoyance would have much to run on, unlike with his current company.

But just when Ron was about to snap, Malfoy finally spoke, voice low.

"About your duel..."

Ron glanced sharply at Malfoy and the irritation faded away when he saw look in the gray eyes. He'd seen that look before.

Ron inwardly sighed and cursed vampires.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, finally caught up to where I was seven years ago. Now to the "new" stuff. 
> 
> Heads up to all those who have enjoyed the daily posting, I will now be posting about every three days to possibly once a week on the weekends. I want to make sure I have time to review the chapters and also, real life commitments and holidays. Also, to provide sympathy to those readers who have waited literal years for these chapters. XD Thank you all for continuing to read, leave comments and kudos! I adore you all.
> 
> Next chapter: "Say Yes" In which Myn shows that she still is, in fact, Myn.


	23. Say Yes

“You know,” grumbled Ron as he climbed down from the Divination classroom, “I don’t know who’s battier – Trelawney or Dumbledore.”

“What, you’re not going to include Opacre?” Seamus joked as he waited for them.

“She’s in a whole other category, all on her own,” Ron muttered.  “Mad and maddest.”

“And which is which, exactly?” Harry asked dryly as he jumped off the last rung of the ladder.

“I’d rather not find out,” Dean snorted.

They all joked as they left the North Tower for the Great Hall, moods high as another week ended and despite the presence of O.W.L.s. looming closer.  Since the infamous week of duels against Lest in the DADA classes with many still disappointed about the results, some even taking to avoiding the male vampire, things were finally beginning to feel back to normal.  Fortunately, Lest never made a return to the classroom after the duels though he still hung around the castle, mostly seen at mealtimes or walking with his sister between classes.  Generally, though, things had returned to about the same before his arrival.

With the exception of something strange going on between Slytherin and Gryffindor.

After Professor Opacre had all but kicked them out of the classroom after Harry’s duel, the Slytherins had been – to say the least – a little irritated.  He had heard the mutters about how the Golden Boy was once again being favored and their own hadn’t been given a shot at the vampire.  Draco had also looked a little annoyed but unsurprised.  That had been normal, Slytherins annoyed with Gryffindors and they should have proceeded to make their lives miserable afterwards.

Except the backlash never came. 

The few days after, Harry did notice the sneers and the glares from the Slytherins while the other Houses congratulated him and the Weasleys for their duels against Lest.  Then, without any explanation, something changed.  Harry had bumped into Zabini outside the Charms classroom and though there were several Slytherins around and the dark-skinned boy looked vaguely annoyed, nothing happened.

Zabini shrugged it off and moved on, continuing his conversation with the other Slytherins, none of who had sneered at Harry.  Harry had been left dumbfounded next to an equally surprised Hermione but he had waved it off as a freak occurrence.  After all, he had never had any particular problems with Zabini and it had been in the middle of classes.  And _that_ should have been the end of it.

Except several similar situations followed.  Seamus stumbled into Crabbe and merely got pushed back instead of getting into a fight.  Greengrass accidentally dropped her books and got helped by Ginny.  Harry even thought he once saw Nott misdirect Filch while the twins were in the middle of a prank.  But even that hadn’t been the weirdest thing.

While waiting for Hagrid for Care of Magical Creatures, Draco had walked up to him and started talking to him about their Potions work.  It had taken him a few minutes into their conversation – which had shifted somehow into discussing upcoming Quidditch finals – to realize that there were several Slytherins around and, more significantly, Ron.

Ron who, while Harry had been chatting with Draco, had taken a few steps away and calmly talked with Dean and Neville.  Hermione had been standing next to him, a puzzled but pleased expression on her face.  It had gotten stranger when Draco flicked him on the shoulder to catch his attention again, drawing a surprised sound from Harry, which had in turn made Ron turn to look at him.

And, instead of glaring or making a rude suggestion for the Slytherin to leave, Ron had simply turned back to his conversation.

 **::Uh…::** Qye had said, flabbergasted.  **::When did Weasley get a grain of sense?::**

Harry had stared, slack-jawed, at the lack of the reaction from his best friend.  To see the redhead, who had just a couple of weeks ago turned red at the mere glimpse of the white-blonde hair, not affected by Harry talking casually with his rival instead of his friends while awaiting Hagrid had sent warning signals off in his head.

“What did you do?” Harry had hissed at Draco, who had blinked at him.

“Beg pardon?” Draco had asked back, arching an eyebrow.

Harry had glared at the bemused looking blonde.  “Are you blackmailing him?” he had asked suspiciously.

“With what?  That he’s an idiot?  Kind of common knowledge,” Draco had smirked.  Harry had scowled, sure that the blond had done something, but before he had a chance to cut into the Slytherin, a familiar voice spoke.

“Ferret,” Ron had said simply but loudly enough for the pair to hear.

Draco had shifted his gaze and stared with hard eyes but the redhead never looked back at them, instead digging through his bag for his textbook.

“Original, Weasel,” Draco had finally responded, a vaguely irritated tone in his voice.  He frowned at the redhead and then back to Harry, who was staring at the pair in stunned silence.  A loud thumping had announced the arrival of Hagrid and the Slytherin had nodded to Harry and calmly rejoined his Housemates, leaving Harry lost in the political undercurrent that had shifted between the two normally antagonistic Houses and families.

Trying to corner Ron with explanations for the sudden change had been alarmingly difficult, with preparation for O.W.L.s and Quidditch and Ron somehow managing to change the topic every time Harry tried to bring up.  Trying to get Hermione into digging into Ron wasn’t an option, not with the way she eyed him like she still wanted to know his secrets and – getting closer to April – he still didn’t have any idea of what to do with Qye.  Flat out asking her about the change wasn’t useful either.

“Maybe the duels helped them grow up a little, Harry,” she had snapped when he finally asked one too many times as she tried to study.  “Maybe they see that tearing each other apart is pointless and actually damaging when there are bigger and more dangerous things out there.  Now could you please go do something actually productive, like going through the study schedule I set up for you?”

Harry had dropped back at that.  With Lest still hovering around, it was hard to worry about House rivalries. But even he couldn’t think about that much, not with Qye snapping at him every time his mind started to wander to how dangerous vampires were.

He tried to not delve into it, tried to tell himself he had enough to think about and good things were good things that shouldn’t be broken.  He wanted to believe that maybe life was leveling off to a state of normalcy.

The large crowd standing outside the Great Hall was not its normal size.

Ron and Harry exchanged confused looks as the turned the corner and saw the small sea of students excitedly huddled together.

“What’s this all about?” Seamus wondered, as he propped himself on Dean’s shoulder and angled his head around to get a better view.

The group moved closer and Harry saw Hermione waving her hand at them from inside the crowd, smiling. He waved back but tilted his head in confusion as he saw her shooting glances at Ron, who was trying to look over the excited crowd.  She gestured at something with her hand and Harry shook his head, not understanding.  The brunette rolled her eyes and impatiently waved her hand, motioning for them to come closer.

Harry turned to Ron but before anything he could say anything, a familiar voice murmured in his ear.

“Say yes.”

He whirled around and met mirthful eyes looking at him above a smirk.

Harry glared at the Slytherin and folded his arms, scowling.  “Thanks for the heart attack.”

Draco merely continued to smirk.  Gray eyes quickly scanned around and Harry was once again unsettled at how easily his Housemates left him alone.  Ron didn’t even say anything as he moved away, trying to awkwardly work his way to Hermione.

When he turned back to Draco, Harry blinked as he noticed that the smirk had faded and the other boy was gazing at him with a hard to read look in his eyes.  He met that look quizzically but didn’t manage to say anything before the other boy spoke again.

“Say yes,” Draco said quietly, voice so serious that Harry blinked again.

“What?”

 **::He’s lost it::** muttered Qye, quickly peering through Harry’s eyes before returning back to reading.  **::Kind of sad, he was so full of potential.::**

Draco took a step closer, bending his head slightly towards Harry.  “Say yes.”

Harry gritted his teeth as a flush started to work its way up his neck.  Trying to control it, Harry lifted his chin challengingly and raised an eyebrow at the blonde.  “To what?”

Draco tilted his head slightly.  “I’ll tell you after you say yes.” 

Harry eyed him.  “I’m not agreeing until I know what it is I’m agreeing to.”

“It’s nothing bad,” Draco said dryly.

“Then why won’t you tell me?” Harry suspiciously asked. 

“I will as soon as you say yes,” Draco answered smoothly.

 _‘What the hell, it can’t get any weirder,’_ Harry thought, rolling his eyes.  He let out an exasperated sigh and gave the blond a warning look.  “Fine.  Yes.”

The smirk deepened and Harry couldn’t contain his flush from finally making its way onto his face as the blond leaned closer, his lips almost brushing his ear as he whispered.  “Great.  I’ll see you Saturday at seven.”

Green eyes blinked dazedly and watched the Slytherin step back.  Draco nodded his head and began to walk away before Harry could think of anything to say.

Barely a few feet away, he paused and turned his head, smirking.  “By the way, I think Granger is available, if Weasley wants to ask.” 

He snapped out of his daze and called after him, still completely bewildered.  “Hey, wait!  Available for what?” 

“What was that all about?” Ron’s voice asked behind Harry, making him whirl around to see his best friend frowning after the back of the Slytherin.

“What was what all about?” Hermione asked, having managed to move through the crowd and looking curiously at Ron and Harry. 

“What’s going on?” Harry asked at the same time Ron demanded, “What are you free for?”

Hermione blinked.  They stared at each other for a moment, baffled by their simultaneous questions.

Harry tilted his head slightly, confusion increasing when he saw Hermione shoot a longer glance at Ron with what he thought might be a rosy tint staining her cheeks. 

“There’s a dance at the Three Broomsticks on Saturday,” Hermione said hurriedly, looking away from Ron and staring fixedly at Harry.  “During the last break at Hogsmeade.” 

“Dance?” Harry repeated blankly.

Hermione shrugged and Harry stared at her as she actually seemed to blush more. “Professor Opacre apparently set up some sort of arrangement with Madam Rosmerta, as a sort of break before the exams.”  And here she frowned, looking more like her usual self than an awkward version.  “Though, really, they should start studying now if they really want to - ”

“Professor Opacre?” Ron cut in before Hermione could continue her studious disapproval.  Harry looked at him to see him frowning.

“It’s on the flyer,” Hermione stated, nodding her head to the front of the large crowd, where the chatter was finally making its way towards Harry about attire and dates.  He grimaced and edged closer to his friends as he noticed some girls eyeing him in askance.  “I think it was made by her - ”

“Of course it was,” Ron muttered and Harry once again looked at him as his frown deepened and the redhead turned to stare at where the flyer must have been posted up.  Harry frowned as well.  ‘ _What’s he mean by that?’_

“Anyway,” Hermione said, her voice higher than usual taking Harry from his thoughts and focusing back on her to see a full out blush covering her face, “Malfoy must have meant that…well, not yet, I don’t have anyone to go with.”

Realization struck Harry as he saw that Hermione was looking firmly at Ron for all the redness in her face.  A glance at Ron found him snapped to attention and flushing, caught between looking at the ground and meeting Hermione in the eye.  A silence fell upon them and Harry could feel his lips twitching into a grin as he amusedly looked between his two friends, wondering which would bend first.

‘ _Oddly nice of Malfoy to give them a little push,_ ’ Harry inwardly snickered.  ‘ _But if this goes on any further, I’ll probably be forced to ask them out for each other.’_

 **::Ten to one they’ll still need help afterwards** :: Qye said exasperatedly. 

 ** _::Remind me to thank him, next time I see him then::_** Harry thought to Qye, innocently shifting his eyes away from his friends and trying to think up an excuse to give them a moment alone.

**::Doesn’t it just balance out the trick he pulled on you?::**

Harry paused in his subtle sliding away from Ron and Hermione.  **_::What do you mean?_** :

His puzzlement increased as he felt Qye roll his eyes and sigh.  **::Remember what he asked?  Say yes, Saturday, meet at seven, ringing any bells?::**

Harry froze.

Staring blankly at the excited crowd, he asked aloud, “What time does the dance start?”

From his peripheral vision he saw Hermione look up, a look mingled with relief and disappointment on her face.  “Eight,” she said, her eyes still glancing over at an awkward Ron.  “Just a few hours before we have to be back for curfew.”  Then she glanced curiously over at Harry.  “Why?”

Harry said nothing, still staring blankly at the crowd as his mind tried to focus and connect the contradictory and startling information.  Next to him he felt Ron shuffle and drop a hand on his shoulder, vaguely heard him ask if he was all right.

Dimly, he heard Qye sigh.  **::Three…two…::**

Harry swore so loudly that people around them turned to stare.

As the black-haired teenager turned red under the startled looks and Hermione began to lecture him on his language and he stutteringly refused to reveal why he did so, he didn’t notice the look Ron was giving the faraway retreating back of the Slytherin.

\------

How was he supposed to sleep knowing he accidentally made a date with Draco Malfoy?

It was past midnight, all the other boys were sleeping and snoring in their beds and Harry was awake in bed as his mind still reeled in shock over the events earlier in the day.

 **::You could always just not go::** Qye suddenly said in the buzzing silence of Harry’s head.  **::Just because he tricked you into saying yes –::**

 ** _::Slytherin bastard::_** Harry said for the tenth time since he realized what the blond had done.

 **::Admit it.  You liked it::** Qye said slyly and Harry wished not for the last time that the other boy was out of his head with his own body if only for a moment so that Harry could hit him for the smirk he felt.

 ** _::Of course::_** Harry said sourly.  **_::That’s exactly why I made a fool of myself in front of the school and missed dinner to try and chase down the git.::_**   Harry sighed and rubbed his eyes with both hands.  **_::Bastard probably hid out in the dorms.::_**

 **::Such language, Harry::** Qye mocked.

Harry expressed further language and rolled over on his side, smothering his pillow over his head as Qye laughed.

 **::That’s not going to keep you from listening to me::** Qye said.  Harry just further buried his head in his pillow. **::Still…I really think you’re making a big deal out of nothing.::**

Harry was quiet, then demanded incredulously **_::How?::_**

**::Huh?::**

**_::How exactly am I making a big deal out of the fact that I have a date with Malfoy?  If anything, I’m not making more of a fuss!::_ **

**::Fuss?::** Qye muttered. **::Really, you use the word fuss?  Really?::**

Harry ignored Qye and fought the retuning blush.  He was lucky no one figured out what had happened and only Ron and Hermione knew.

Harry opened his eyes and stared at the hangings covering Ron in his bed.  The redhead had not predictably gone into a fit upon learning what Malfoy had done.  No, instead he had adopted a curiously neutral expression, shrugged and made his way to dinner.  Harry had not questioned him more at the time in his dash after the blond.  It was only after he tiredly returned from his failed mission and stumbled upon Ron blandly telling Seamus that there was no point to asking out a person with a date.  Harry had glanced at Hermione, thinking for one moment it had finally happened but the bushy haired girl merely looked surprised, confused and suspicious.  When Harry had turned back, it was to Seamus (and most of Gryffindor House) practically jumping him and demanding in various tones the identity of his date.

Harry had looked at Ron but his friend had not met his eyes over the sea of inquisitive Housemates and merely continued talking to the twins and Ginny.

Although he managed to escape the inquisition about his date and Hermione bullied them until they swore to stop talking about it, how long until the gossip mill of Hogwarts found out as well?  And after that, it was just a short period of time before the Prophet caught on as well…

 **::You know, you could always just follow Granger’s advice:** : Qye suddenly said as Harry carefully contemplated what his life had become.  **::Just talk to him during the week, point out the trick and voila, no more obligation::**

Harry sighed and turned his head on the pillow, staring out the window at the half-moon sky filtering through.  **_::I still said yes::_** he groaned and reburied his face in the pillow.

 **::You’re going to need air eventually:** : Qye said amusedly.  Harry merely groaned more in response and banged his head once on the pillow before turning on his side and curling up.  **::Oh really, Harry, again, may I just point that you don’t have any actual obligation.::**

**_::Yeah, but - ::_ **

**::But nothing::** Qye interrupted.  **::There’s no reason that you have to go with him if you don’t want to.  You’re just trying to find an excuse to hide that you actually do want to go with him.::**

Harry’s eyes shot open and stared out into nothing.

 **::Don’t even try::** Qye said flatly before Harry could even begun to sputter a denial that he wasn’t…that he didn’t… **::Don’t bother.::**

 ** _::Qye::_** Harry began, chest tight and heavy.

 **::All this “fuss” you’re kicking up, come on, Harry::** Qye snorted quietly.  **::I know you.  If you actually didn’t want to go, you wouldn’t.  No one makes you do anything, Harry.::**

Harry said nothing.

 **::Are you afraid?::** Qye mused.  **::No…well, maybe a little.  You want to hide the fact that you _want_ to go with him.::**

 ** _::I’m not gay::_** Harry replied quietly.  Memories of Cho Chang and his lack of interest in anybody flashed through his head.  **_::I…::_**

 **::Does it matter if you were?::** Qye asked curiously.

**_::I…::_ **

**::You think that little of your friends?::**

Harry stiffened.  : ** _:I never said - ::_**

 **::I hate you for making me do this::** Qye grumbled, : **:but I know that even Weasley wouldn’t have a whit of care about it if you were.::**

Harry clenched a fist and quietly said, **_::I know.::_**

There was a moment of silence.

 **::Look::** Qye said abruptly, **::you are what you are.  You know yourself.  And I think the most important thing here is that you want to go with Draco Malfoy to a dance and have fun.  What does anything else matter here?::**

In his head ran a myriad of thoughts, the looks of the students and staff, the judging press in the papers, the strangers delving into another part of his life that in another person wouldn’t matter at all.  The expectations of who he was and who he should be with and exactly who Draco Malfoy was and the disappointment and -

And Qye was right.  What did anything else matter but what he wanted?

His tight chest loosened and he rolled onto his back, his arms slowly covering his face as he rested back into the pillows and mattress.

In the back of his head, Qye snorted and relaxed himself. **::You have to remember I’m the smart one here.::**

Harry’s shoulders shook as he laughed silently beneath the cradle of his arms. **_::Right.  And you couldn’t have helped me to this grand epiphany earlier, you brat?::_**

 **::You’re welcome::** Qye smiled.  He added, **::Also, you should ask Myn for help on your outfit.::**

 ** _::Oh come on, we were having a moment here, Qye::_** Harry snorted, dropping his arms and pulling up the covers, unsure and hesitant and still with that twinge of worry but more free than anything.

 **::Draco might like her ideas::** Qye said in a far too innocent tone.  **::Besides, everyone knows how badly you need help.::**

 ** _::Ouch::_** Harry muttered, the exhaustion of the day catching up to him.

 **::I’m not going to let you rest until you agree::** Qye said cheerfully.  **::I just remembered this fabulous new tune, maybe you’ve heard of it.  It’s a very catchy little song, wonderful when repeated over and over and over - ::**

Harry groaned silently and not for the hundredth time, wished there was a way to cover his ears from the other boy.  : ** _:Fine, fine, let me sleep.::_**

 **::Done::** Qye said quickly and under any circumstances, Harry would have been instantly suspicious.  But his eyes dragged shut as his body grew heavy and lax with sleep, feeling Qye in that similar state of sleep.

His last thought was the hope that he didn’t hear Qye snicker softly, **::Hope Myn’s style hasn’t changed.::**

\-----

 ** _::Remind how I let you talk me into this again?::_** Harry muttered to Qye on Friday afternoon after the DADA class ended.

He nervously waited for the rest of the class to leave so he could ask Professor Opacre for “help”.  He had told Ron and Hermione it was a question for the O.W.L.s and shrugged off Hermione’s hurt offer of help, reassuring her that he knew she could and promising to review it with her.  Ron gave him a long look before dragging Hermione away, coaxing her with a promise that if Harry didn’t join them in ten minutes they’d be back.

 **::I didn’t talk you into anything, I merely suggested::** Qye said idly.  **::If that suggestion was paired with an incentive, well…::**

 ** _::I don’t know if cruel and unusual torture counts as incentive::_** Harry muttered.  : ** _:And of course it completely slipped your mind that I become more agreeable when half asleep.::_**

 **::Of course::** was the too bland reply.

Just as Harry rethought his decision to stay, Professor Opacre’s cheery voice came towards him.  “What’s up, Harry?”

Harry reluctantly turned his gaze from the door and cleared his throat.  He turned to face her fully and said, “I was wondering if you could help me with something.” 

Professor Opacre placed the papers on her desk and kindly looked at him.  “Of course, Harry, you know I’m always eager to help.  Although, you’ve been doing so well, I don’t think you need to worry about the upcoming exams.”

Harry shook his head with his hand fidgeting on the strap of his school bag.  “No, it’s…it’s something more personal.”

He heard Professor Opacre make an inquiring sound but didn’t say anything further, obviously waiting for him to elaborate.

Bringing up every ounce of his courage, Harry firmly met Professor Opacre’s eyes and said, “I was wondering if you could me choose an outfit for the dance you’ve set up.”

He was taken aback as Professor Opacre immediately sat up, her blue eyes turning from kind and gentle to strange and gleaming.  “You want me to help with an outfit?” She paused, the shine in her eyes muting slightly.  “Why?”

“Y-you always look well-dressed,” Harry stammered as she looked at him intently.  “I know I’m not always…well, it was mentioned that I could use some help and I’m not exactly comfortable with anyone else and Hermione’s got her own things to worry about and someone suggested you might…help.”

 ** _::Worst suggestion ever::_** Harry added sourly to Qye, who was keeping silent but exuding humor.  **_::What the hell was I thinking, asking a teacher?::_**

It was too late now.  At least the vampire woman had always been kind to him, he figured there wouldn’t be much lasting embarrassment. He took another deep breath and continued, “Also I…I have a date.  Tomorrow.”  He firmly ignored the blush fixed on his cheeks.

Professor Opacre gave him a long, considering look and then suddenly grinned, beaming with her bright eyes as she rapidly stood up.

 “Of course I’ll help!” she said enthusiastically, sweeping over him and ruffling his hair.  Her eyes were shining again as she wrapped an arm around him.  “I already have some ideas and I would love nothing more than to help my favorite student!”  She winked at him as she gently started steering him for the door.

Harry let out a short breath and gave her a hesitant smile as he followed her lead.  “Thanks, I appreciate it.”  He ducked his head and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.  “I know it’s a strange request - ”

“Not at all, Harry!” Professor Opacre said cheerfully, patting him on the back before clasping her hands behind her.  “Like I said, I already have some ideas.  Just make sure to be here early tomorrow, say around four?”

Harry paused in taking a step out the door, his brow furrowing.  “Isn’t that a bit early?”

Professor Opacre carelessly waved a hand, smiling widely as she rocked on her heels.  “Oh, don’t worry about that, better safe than in a rush, right?” she said cheerfully.

“I suppose,” he said slowly, shifting his bag.  “Is there anything in particular you want me to bring?  I don’t have much beyond school clothes but - ”

Professor Opacre waved her hand again, still smiling widely.  “Oh, there will be no need for that, I have everything.”

Harry’s brow furrowed.  “Are…are you sure? I don’t think - ”

“Absolutely!” she chirped, rocking on her heels.  “I use to dress up my little cousins and brother when they were younger, I have a wide selection.  I brought some over just in case and I’m sure we can make it fit.”  Her eyes shone.  “I have rather missed it.”

Harry stared and slowly nodded.  “Okay…well, then.  I’ll…see you tomorrow at four.”  He ducked his head in embarrassment.  “Thanks again, I know this is probably really strange.”

“Oh no, Harry,” Professor Opacre soothed, ruffling his hair as she guided him to the door.  “The pleasure is all mine.”

As he left the DADA classroom, a sinking feeling in his stomach, all Harry could think amidst Qye’s continued amusement was, _‘…dress up?’_

\-----

 ** _::As soon as I get you out of my head, I’m going to throw you off my broomstick into a acromantula’s nest::_** Harry hissed to Qye the next day.

He stood in Professor Opacre’s office as the vampire woman cheerfully bustled through what seemed to be an endless row of trunks filled with clothes.  He had dodged Ron and Hermione – who he could neither confirm nor deny finally broke down and asked each other out or were simply, again, going as friends – with a feeble excuse of finishing up something for DADA and that he would meet them there.

All week, they had said nothing about what had happened and although the Gryffindors kept to their Hermione-induced promise about not bothering him, he had seen a few suspicious glances throughout the week from other Houses that made him think _someone_ talked.  It would all be over soon either way.

That is, if he survived this experience.

Harry shuddered as Professor Opacre hummed happily as she set aside another aquamarine shirt and a lavender vest.

He had arrived a few minutes before four, thinking he would apologize again for his strange request, agree to whatever she provided first and make any necessary modifications later on his own.

Instead, the door had flung open to reveal Professor Opacre in a bright yellow dress, eyes feverishly bright with a pale green scarf in one hand and a bottle in another.  He had stood for one second, mouth agape as he blinked at the multitude of opened trunks behind her, the scattering of fabrics across the floor, desk and furniture.

The next moment, she had pulled him in and closed the door to her office with an ominous thud.

What followed had him protesting, squirming, yelping, begging and fumbling for his wand before finally submitting to standing in yet _another_ outfit as Professor Opacre cheerily continued her torture in the guise of finding him the perfect outfit.

Inside his head, Qye choked, half-laughing, half-crying, **::Sorry.::**

**_::You little - ::_ **

Professor Opacre cheered and Harry was pulled from his murderous thoughts to look at her holding up another outfit with a gleam in her eye.  She whirled around and he instinctively flinched.

“I think this is it!” she said excitedly, almost skipping over to him.  “This will most definitely work tonight!”

“That’s what you said about this one,” Harry said weakly as she tugged at the brown jacket she had pushed him into.  He batted her hands away and took a step back, yelping, as she reached for the gray slacks.  “No, no, we agreed I would do this!”  He vaguely thought he should be protesting more, surely there were provisions in the school rule for teachers treating their students like dress up dolls or something similar.

 **::There are no laws against Myn::** Qye snorted.  **::Trust me, I’ve looked.::**

“Here then,” Professor Opacre smiled, dropping the clothes in his arms and bustling him behind the privacy screen she erected after he tried to escape the fifth time.  “I know this is it, I would’ve gone with green but I feel like I should save that and goodness knows this will look just as well on you - ”

Harry tuned out her chatter as he took off his current outfit and inspected the new clothes.  It wasn’t the burgundy suit with ruffles – outfit number three – or a blue coat with flowers embossed across it – outfit number eight – so it was already vastly superior.

Instead, it was a gold-zippered black shirt that fit comfortably with sleeves just a little past his elbow.  The hem of the shirt barely reached the waistline of the dark grey jeans and he tugged on the black boots with a small heel.  He wiggled his feet and cast the adjustment charm that had become very familiar.

 **::I am actually very disappointed there aren’t any more frills::** Qye admitted as Harry inspected each part, making sure they fit properly.  Despite the adjustment charm, the shirt didn’t seem to get any lower than waistline and he mentally made sure to not raise his arms too much.  **::Think you can show some hesitance?  Maybe she has another - ::**

 ** _::You think I’m going to forget this?  Keep talking, it’ll all come back::_** Harry muttered as he sighed and scrubbed his hair.  He took in a deep breath and left the privacy screen to see Professor Opacre rummaging through a box on her desk.  He eyed the way to the door, wondering if he should make another escape attempt, when she turned around, a pencil in her hand.

Looking at Professor Opacre, her eyes bright, face glowing and looking so much younger and freer that he had ever seen her, made it hard to resist her when she obviously meant no real harm.  As she murmured and brushed the shirt down, eyeing the fit of the jeans, he wondered how long it had been since she had a moment to be herself.

Although, he inwardly sighed as she crouched and fiddled with the straps on his boots, he really wished it hadn’t been with him.

 ** _::Hate you.  So much::_** he grumbled at Qye, who hadn’t read his memories at all during this experience, instead peering through his eyes and making cheeky remarks in between his bouts of giggling.

Okay, so maybe the fact that the normally cynical and sarcastic boy seemed so cheerful and happy might have also had a factor in tolerating this madness.

“Well?” he asked wearily as the vampire woman straightened up, twirling her pencil and looking at him contemplatively.  Merlin, he hoped that didn’t mean another outfit change.

She smiled at him and he felt his hopes rise.  “It’s almost perfect,” she said, reaching up a hand and patting his head.  “I know the zipper looks a little strange but it really does look good on you and - ”

“Almost?” he asked, blinking, unsure of whether to be hopeful or suspicious.

 **::Oh, right::** Qye coughed.  **::Part two.::**

“Well, you know,” Professor Opacre smiled, holding up the pencil.  Harry squinted and felt a sense of unease as he noticed the silver tip.  “Just a few additions.”

He took a step back.  “You know, it’s actually getting really late, I should get going if I want to meet - ”

“Oh, I’ll get you there in time,” she said cheerfully, dropping a hand on his shoulder and trying to guide him to the chair at her desk.  “Now that I have a definite color scheme, it’s all a matter of application and - ”

“Okay, no,” Harry said hastily, struggling against her inhuman strength.  “No, no, this is where I draw the line, I am not taking makeup.”

“It’s not makeup, Harry,” she coaxed, still trying to move him forward.  He stumbled a bit and she moved behind him, holding onto both shoulders.  “Just think of it as enhancement, you have such lovely features, I just want to make sure people can really see it - ”

“I don’t _care_ what people see,” Harry said desperately, grasping a corner of the desk as her strength kept moving him forward.  “I wouldn’t have even normally bothered and people already know I don’t dress like this - ”

“All the more reason to try, Harry!” she said brightly, finally plopping him down on the chair and looming ominously with the silver eyeliner.  “You’re sure to get people to notice you and if you’ll just let me add a little more, I know you’ll have a ton of dates in no time to - ”

“I already like the date I have!” Harry burst out, flinging his hands out as his panicked eyes watched the eyeliner move dangerously close.

The pencil stopped.

Professor Opacre blinked at him.

Harry stared back.  And slowly cursed as he felt a flush slowly creep up his cheeks as a knowing smile came upon her face.

“Oh, really?” she grinned, lowering the pencil.  She leaned back against the desk, her eyes twinkling.  “Anyone I know, Harry?”

Judging by her mischievous smile, Harry had a feeling she had a good guess.

“Look,” he said, clearing his throat and slowly lowering his hands as he tried to fight off his blush, “I really do appreciate your help.  Like I said, I normally wouldn’t have bothered with this but…”  He faltered as his blush deepened before he pushed ahead.  “But…thank you anyway.  And I am _not_ agreeing to make up, that’s just going way too far.”

 **::What, the hours of dress up and screaming weren’t far enough?::** Qye snickered.

Professor Opacre drummed her free hand on her desk, still smiling lightly at Harry.  “Okay…” she said.  “Okay, let’s compromise.  You let me do your hair, add some perfume and lip gloss, and I’ll let you walk out of here without the ribbons I was thinking about.”

Harry stared at her.  “Just the hair,” he finally replied, refusing to break eye contact.

“Hair and perfume.  And maybe a necklace and bracelets.  Ooh, I have a lovely collar that - ”

“Hair,” he repeated firmly.

The vampire woman folded her arms and looked evenly at him.  “Hair and one bracelet,” she said after a minute of staring.

Harry considered it.

 **::I would advise you to take that deal::** Qye said, sounding mystified.  **::I have _never_ seen her compromise.  I didn’t know she could.  Holy hell, you might walk out of here without pink, that just isn’t fair.::**

“Hair and bracelet,” he slowly agreed.  He narrowed his eyes.  “But I reserve the right to wear robes if the bracelet is too gaudy.”  He figured she would eventually find out that there wasn’t much she could do with his always messy hair and would give up quickly.  She certainly couldn’t make the mess even worse.

“Oh no, please don’t,” she said and his eyebrows shot up as he heard a touch of a whine in her voice.  “It would be such a shame not to show off such a doll.”  She held up her hands and stood up from the desk.  “I promise it’ll be wonderful, you just sit tight and I’ll be done in just a moment.

 _‘Somehow,’_ he thought wearily as she picked up a bottle from the trunk on her desk and moved behind him, _‘I really doubt that.’_

 **::I still say you got off lucky::** Qye said, a tad petulantly.  **::Compromise, where on earth did she learn about that and why couldn’t she have learned it earlier?::**

Harry’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully as Professor Opacre set about mussing his hair with liquid from the bottle.

“Professor Opacre?” he asked.  She hummed as she pulled back the bangs from his face, smoothing them with the liquid that faintly smelled of almonds.  “You said you used to do something like this before?”

He felt her hands still momentarily in his hair, before resuming their gentle glide through the messy strands.

“Yes,” she said softly as she worked.  “A long time ago.”

He waited but she didn’t say anything more.  Cautiously, he said, “I really can’t see your brother letting you do this.”

He stiffened in surprise as she giggled loudly, reaching over him to pick up a comb.

“Oh, Lest,” she said gleefully, her voice laughing.  “Oh, he absolutely _hated_ it.  But he always tried so hard to be so serious, as if he was above such nonsense.”  She giggled again as she brushed his hair.  “If I didn’t do it, I was sure I’d strangle him, he had such a poor manner to him.  The poor boy never knew how to relax.”

“I really don’t see this helping that,” he muttered.  He winced as she tugged on one strand.

“Oh, don’t be harsh, Harry,” Professor Opacre chided as she smoothed the hair back into place.  “And yes, I suppose it didn’t really help when it was just him but when he brought - ”  She suddenly stopped.

Inside his head, he felt Qye’s attention sharpen.

When she didn’t continue speaking, he hesitantly asked, “Professor Opacre?”

“Sorry, Harry,” she said quietly.  “Just remembering a long time ago.”  He felt her hand brush down his hair before she stepped back.  “Give me a moment, I just need something to set this.”

He turned his head slightly to watch her walk quickly over to a trunk.  He saw her lift a hand and quickly brush at her face before she looked through it.

 **::Myn…::** he heard Qye whisper.

Professor Opacre turned around and smiled brightly at him, holding a small spray bottle.  “Here, almost done,” she said cheerfully, as she walked back.  She spritzed his hair, brow furrowed as her fingers lightly set his hair.  “I really need to thank you, Harry,” she said abruptly, eyes completely on his hair.  “I…I had almost forgotten what it meant to do this.”

She spritzed one more time before lowering the bottle and finally meeting his gaze.  He felt a twinge as he saw the trace of melancholy in her blue eyes.

 **::Myn::** he heard Qye say again, a touch of desperation in his young voice.

Harry looked at her and then gently touched the hand holding the bottle.

“I’m sure you’ll get many chances soon,” he said sincerely.

As her eyebrows rose, he hastily continued as he withdrew his hand, “I mean, not with _me_ but…well, the school year will be over soon.”  He smiled lightly at her.  “Who knows what that will bring?”

She looked at him and then, slowly, hopefully, began to smile back.

“Yes,” she replied, putting down the bottle and clasping her hands together.  Her smile grew a little brighter.  “Yes, that’s a lovely thought.”

She grinned and picked up a mirror to hold in front of him.  “In the meantime, let’s see what tonight brings, huh?”

Harry’s eyes widened as he took himself in.  His hair flowed back, the strands carefully arranged so they made a gentle wave.  There wasn’t any neatness as his hair was always opposed to it but she made it seem as if it was flowing together rather than every which way.  He turned his head and contemplated how long his hair was now, almost long enough to tie.  He touched it lightly and smiled faintly as a lock lazily brushed his ear.

He looked up at her and gave her his own grin.  “Thank you.  I…”  He shook his head and stood up.  “Thank you.”

She beamed at him, her blue eyes bright.

 ** _::Thank you::_** he also said to Qye, who quietly watched Professor’s Opacre smile through his eyes. **_::And don’t worry.  I’ll make sure you’ll have your chance with her soon.::_**

 **::Looking forward to it::** Qye replied after a moment.  The other boy took a breath and Harry felt him fade from his sight.  **::But for now, better get moving.  You have a dance to get to.::**

\------

Marylin looked up from cleaning up the last of the makeup materials to see Lest leaning against the doorframe staring at her.

“What the hell did you need that blasted stuff for?” Lest asked, warily eyeing the items in her hands.

She grinned as she capped her eyeliner.  “Harry asked for clothing advice,” she sighed happily, holding the tube close as she remembered all the fun of the afternoon.  “I was so happy to be asked I…”  She ruefully looked around the messy room.  “Well, I suppose I might’ve gotten a little…enthusiastic.”  She laughed and whirled around as she continued cleaning up.  “Oh, but I haven’t done that in such a long time.”

Lest arched an eyebrow, making no move to get closer to his sister or the objects in the room.  Then he did a double take and incredulously said, “Wait…he _asked_ you?  Why in the name of all that’s good would he do such a thing?”

Marylin chuckled as she closed another trunk.  “When does anyone care how they may present themselves?”  She looked around, decided to leave everything for later, and turned to face her bemused brother.  She winked and mouthed something as she walked closer.

Only to pause and blink as she saw Lest’s face close off.

Lest emotionlessly repeated, “Date?”

Marylin carefully looked at her brother as she straightened her Gemmae and the scarf tied around her waist, her brief happiness fading.  “Yes…I think it’s with Draco, too, though he wouldn’t say anything.”

Any trace of relaxation she had gained from her afternoon fled as she felt tension rise at the hardening look in Lest’s eyes at the name of the Malfoy heir.

She stepped uncertainly closer to Lest, trying to think of how to soothe away the look on his face.  She had to stop that look before someone – likely Draco – got hurt and dimly wondered why Lest was so upset.  Before she could do anything, Lest turned away.

“We better get going to this stupid thing you cooked up with Dumbledore,” he coolly said, his back stiff.  Marylin stepped up next to him and caught his arm.

“Lest?” she said uncertainly.

He glanced at her and she looked worriedly at the look in his eyes.

“Come on, then,” he muttered, brushing her off and beginning to stalk down the corridor.  “We wouldn’t want to miss anything, would we?”

Marylin hastily closed up her office and hurried to catch her brother.  As she met his pace, she glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

All her cheerfulness and excitement was replaced by worry and tension as she stared at the harsh, competitive look on her brother’s face.

She bit her lip and continued their walk to Hogsmeade, where the dance awaited them.


	24. The Dance

From his safe spot in the small alleyway, Harry watched from the corner of his eye as other students hurried over to the Three Broomsticks, all dressed up.  He leaned against the cold wall of Scrivenshaft’s Quill Shop, twisting the bracelet Professor Opacre had given him.

 **::Anxious?::** asked Qye absently, flipping through his memories of Honeydukes.

Harry didn’t respond, instead lowering his gaze to the bracelet.  It had black leather straps, twisted into an intricate pattern and held together by gold hooks.  The leather felt soft and worn in between his fingers and he let out a slow breath as he let go of it.

 **::Are you sure you don’t want to move closer to the street?::** Qye said.  **::I don’t know if he’ll be able to see you from here.::**

 ** _::Then he should’ve picked a better spot::_** Harry rolled his eyes, pushing back from the wall and reaching into the pocket of the pants.  They were tight and he had barely been able to fit the scrap of parchment, let alone his wand.  **_::Or, you know, actually talked to me this week instead of ignoring me and waiting for the last second.::_**

 **::You two are impossible::** Qye muttered as Harry unfolded the note delivered to the dormitory after he finished with Professor Opacre.  By the time they were done and he had made it back to his dorm, most of his friends had already left for Hogsmeade, with Ron leaving a note saying they would see him there as Fred and George had plans for Zonko’s before the dance.

_‘Meet next to Scrivenshaft’s at 7pm.’_

That was all.

Harry took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly as he shoved the note back in his pocket.  All week, they had barely spoken to each other during classes, focusing on their tasks.  And every time Harry finally got up the courage to ask about Draco’s sudden question, the blond had suddenly found something else to do and disappeared before Harry could corner him without the presence of their inquisitive classmates.

And then a note.  With hardly anything.

Harry kicked a pebble and watched it roll into the street.

 ** _::Why::_** Harry began as he kicked another pebble and heard it clink on the stone pavement, **_::did I think this was a good idea?::_**  
  
Qye didn’t rouse from his reading. 

Harry sighed.  **_::Isn’t this the part where you convince me of his great traits when he’s not being a jerk to me and my friends?  Or how I should give him a chance and ignore all our past history where we were crap to each other?::_**  
  
**::I never said anything like that::** Qye said peacefully.  **::I said screw what everyone else thinks and do what you want to do. Which is to give him a chance since apparently he has great traits.::**  
  
**_::I never said anything like that!::_** Harry protested.

 **::You just did::** Qye said, a touch of smugness entering his voice. **::Or you wouldn’t be asking me to justify your waiting for him.::  
  
_::I am an idiot::_** Harry thought in disgruntlement, raising his hands to his head and squeezing.  ****_::I am_ such _an idiot, doing this, he probably did it all for a great laugh and I’m not going to be able to go there without wanting to punch his face and -::_

A hand dropped on one of his and tangled with his fingers.

“Your hair actually looks devastatingly well tonight, please don’t ruin this miracle,” Draco’s voice said behind him.

He stilled.

They stood there for a long moment and Harry swallowed as he felt Draco’s fingers slowly move and back forth on his own.

Harry dropped his hands, feeling oddly bereft as Draco’s hand fell away from his own.  As he turned, he tried to think of something to say after not saying anything since being tricked into a date after years of hostility and a strangely civil repertoire these months and –

Harry snapped his mouth shut and looked the Slytherin teenager over.

Draco wore black slacks that framed his long legs with a gray button down that hung slightly beyond his waist.  Harry’s eyes lingered on the silver tie next to the single button left undone at Draco’s collarbone and noted its soft silk shimmer.  Overall, the effect made Harry’s palms sweat and mouth dry.

“Trust me,” Draco smirked, “you’re producing a similar reaction.”

Harry blinked and inhaled sharply as he realized exactly how close the other teenager was.  He fought the urge to take several steps back and raised his eyes, only to feel his face heat as he noticed Draco taking similar notice of his own outfit.

He swallowed and instead of crossing his arms over himself like he wanted, he hooked his thumb in one of the loops of the jeans and raised an eyebrow at Draco.

“What reaction is that, exactly?” he asked, proud of how steady his voice sounded.

Draco met his eyes and any hint of the smirk from earlier disappeared.  “The kind that tells me I wasn’t mistaken in asking you.”

His flush deepened but he didn’t pull his eyes from Draco.  “You actually didn’t ask me, you know.  In fact, you rather tricked me into it.”

Draco tilted his head and took another step closer, leaving barely a handspan between them.  “You never told me no.”

“You didn’t let me talk to you,” Harry said, a touch of annoyance entering his voice, bringing his blush down.  “We did our work and any time I wanted to clarify what you did, you just went off and - ”

“So, is this a no?” Draco interrupted, his gray eyes searching his own.

“You never asked!” Harry said exasperatedly, eyes flashing.  “All you did was tell me to say yes and then to meet you here and damn it, Malfoy, what exactly is - ”

“Please come to the dance with me.”

Harry stopped.

Draco took that final step closer and Harry inhaled sharply as he felt the other teenager place a careful hand on his hip, his warm fingers on the edge of his shirt, almost touching his skin.  His heart beat rapidly and he tilted his head back slightly to look into Draco’s steady gaze.  He couldn’t help but lick his lips lightly, watching as Draco’s eyes flickered down momentarily before focusing on his eyes.

“Please come to the dance with me,” Draco repeated softly.  “I don’t know how to do this.  I don’t know how to make this easier.  I’ll most likely still be an ass because we’ve been at each other’s throats since the beginning and that’s hardly changed some days.  But there have been days where it _has_ and… I can’t even tell you what I was thinking when I told you to say yes.  All I can say is that when I saw that notice, I wanted you there with me.  So that I could be with you.  So.  Please come to the dance with me.”

A minute passed where they stood, barely hidden in the alley next to Scrivenshift’s, the faint sounds of other Hogwarts students heading to the dance in the distance.

Qye made no sound, obviously silent to give them a measure of privacy.

“That’s still not a question,” Harry finally replied.  His eyes never left Draco’s.

The hand on his hip tensed slightly and he watched the blond take a small breath.

“Will you please come to the dance with me?” Draco asked.

Harry reached out and grasped Draco’s free hand with his own.  He saw a flicker in Draco’s eyes and ran his fingers over Draco’s.

“Yeah,” he said quietly.  He made sure his gaze was unwavering as he moved his thumb across the back of the blond’s hand, a slight smile for the slight tremble in response.  “Yeah, okay.”  
  
“Although,” he added, shakily, walking backward towards High Street as he slowly let go of Draco’s hand, “I am very curious to know how you’ll explain this to Ron.”  He turned to the street, very conscious of Draco gradually joining him.  “Might be a short date.”

A few moments passed and he felt Draco catch up, his warmth against his shoulder.

“Let me worry about Weasley,” Draco said, a smile in his voice.

\-----

“Oh, Merlin, hell, no,” Ron groaned.

His comment broke the heavy silence that gathered in the Three Broomsticks as Harry and Malfoy entered.

“Ron!” Hermione said, overcoming her own stunned silence, blinking rapidly as she turned to the redhead.  “Besides your obvious language, I thought you were beginning to understand the need for maturity!  You - ”

“No,” Ron broke in, giving her his own flat look.  “No,” he repeated, this time to Malfoy as he and Harry joined them.  “I didn’t…this wasn’t what…damn it all, Malfoy, what the hell, this wasn’t part of the deal!”

“What deal?” Harry asked, his face slightly flushed from all the attention they were getting.  The crowd was slowly slipping back into their conversations amidst the flow of butterbeer and the latest hit from the Weird Sisters but it wasn’t hard to miss their side-eyed glances or whispers of “ _Malfoy and Potter?”_

“What deal?” Harry repeated, tilting his head slightly.

“Just something Weasley and I talked about,” Malfoy answered, signaling for two butterbeers to a frazzled but obviously pleased with business Madam Rosmerta.  “Turns out we had some common ground.”

“No,” Ron said flatly.  He jabbed a finger at the smirking Malfoy, ignoring Harry and Hermione’s confused looks.  “No, no and, I cannot possibly say this enough, no.”  He turned to Harry, who was staring at them both.  “I realized he tricked you into saying yes but you do realize you don’t have to go along with everything he says?”

“What are you talking about?” Harry asked, baffled.  Behind him, Ron could see Seamus goggling at him with Dean and a few other Gryffindors giving Harry an impressed look.

Ron’s frown deepened and he glared slightly at Malfoy.

Malfoy arched an eyebrow back.

“Is this part of whatever weird thing is going on between you two?” asked Harry, suspicion growing on his face.  “Which,” he continued as he turned to look at Malfoy, “you still haven’t explained.”

“I thought I just did?” Malfoy said amusedly.  Ron twitched slightly as the Slytherin put a hand on Harry’s back and guided him out of the way of a Ravenclaw group giggling past them towards the section cornered off as the dance floor.

The Three Broomsticks was starting to get crowded.  The only reason they had a table was the fact that they had arrived earlier due to the twins had dragging him, and subsequently Hermione, along to help with their “investigation” of Zonko’s products.  He could only be thankful that he didn’t have any remnants of said “investigation” on his body or it would be like the bloody dress robes all over again.

“Ron?” Hermione called his name and he turned from glowering at the dance floor – there were the Hufflepuffs, little smitten looks on their faces as they looked at Malfoy and Harry – to glowering at Malfoy as Hermione and Harry continued to look quite confused.

“You are a terrible influence,” he informed the blond as he snagged his butterbeer.  “Absolutely horrible and if you do anything else, talk or no talk, we’ll see how you’ll like bouncing again, Ferret.”

“Always pleasant, Weasley,” Malfoy smiled tightly as the new butterbeers arrived while he and Harry sat down.  Ron’s scowl deepened as Malfoy sat right across from him.  “Although I fail to see exactly what I did to offend.  Is it the lack of lace I have?  I realize we’re at an event but even I didn’t see - ”

“Okay, stop,” Harry interrupted, glancing back and forth between them with narrowed eyes as Ron contemplated upending his drink on the git.  “And stop stalling, one of you needs to explain this.  I know something’s going on between you two.”

“Like I said - ” Malfoy began.

“We had a talk, struck a deal to ignore each other until the other ceases to exist,” Ron said shortly.  “It’s like you said, Hermione.  It’s not worth it.”

Hermione sat next to him, dazzling in her gentle purple skirt and periwinkle blue shirt gathered around her delicately, hair wrapped in a messy bun looking beautiful, her mouth hanging open.

Harry just stared at him, eyes impossibly wide.

“Like I said?” Hermione finally squeaked.  “Ron…you…”

Both he and Harry jumped when she suddenly whipped her wand out at Malfoy, voice going higher as she said shrilly, “Malfoy, what did you _do_ to him?!”

“Hermione!” Harry yelped, moving to grab Hermione’s hand.  “Wait, hold on a second -”

“Harry, move, can’t you see Ron’s been enchanted?!” she shouted.  Ron leaned back as she turned to him, grasping his arm.  “Don’t worry, Ron, I’ve read all sorts of countercurses and Madam Pomfrey will surely - ”

He contemplated for a long moment about letting this go on.  But then he caught Malfoy’s gaze and saw it flicker towards the doorway.  He followed it and inwardly sighed.

Ron took Hermione’s hand from Harry as she muttered quickly under her breath about which spell to use and how long he’d been jinxed and whether they’d be docked points for hexing Malfoy outside of school.  Harry uncertainly lowered his hand to the table, warily keeping an eye between her and Malfoy.

“Hermione, look at me,” he said firmly.  Her brown eyes glanced up and blinked.  “I’m not jinxed, hexed, cursed, bamboozled or in any way thinking Malfoy is anything but a plain and utter git.  If he were to disappear from all known existence or fall into a vat of poisonous flobberworms and die, I really couldn’t be happier.  But as we’re currently stuck with said git, I’m just going to pretend every time I see his damn face that there’s a bouncing ferret.”

Hermione opened her mouth but Harry broke in, voice bewildered, “What do you mean stuck with?”

Ron moved his gaze to Harry and gave him a look.

Harry flushed.

Hermione closed her mouth and he saw her gaze sharply move over to Harry.

Harry flushed even more.

“What?” he said, a little defensively, crossing his arms in front of him.  Next to him, Malfoy carefully put his drink down.  Ron grimaced as he saw his now free hand gently touch Harry’s elbow, which twitched as Harry glanced over at him.

“Like I said,” Malfoy said, looking at Harry.  “We found common ground.”

“Common ground doesn’t mean dressing up Harry however you’d like,” Ron immediately broke in, unwilling to look at such emotion from Malfoy of all people.  He drew both their gazes and he frowned severely at Malfoy.  “Honestly, Malfoy, for all your wealth you couldn’t get him a shirt that fits?”

“I didn’t give him that shirt,” Malfoy said slowly, his brows furrowing.  He glanced over at Harry, who was suddenly very interested in his butterbeer.

“Prfmopcrelpeme,” the green eyed teenager muttered as he took a sip of his drink.

Ron’s eyes narrowed more.  “What was that?”

Harry cleared his throat.  “Look, we aren’t talking about my clothes - ”

“Now I think we are,” Malfoy said, looking Harry over and making Ron grimace.  “Unless you’ve always had a sense of fashion and just willingly chosen not to use it until now - ”

“So you two just decided to, what, be civil?” Harry broke in again, a flush on his cheeks making his attempt to change the subject even more obvious.  “Now?  Without the world ending?  Or bloodshed?  Or did you actually - ”

“I think we should just be grateful they’ve finally gotten some sense,” Hermione interrupted.  “And Harry has the right to look however he wants.  You look very nice tonight, by the way,” she added to a Harry who flushed even more and fiddled with the bracelet he wore.

“You do too,” Harry responded, smiling back at her.  He glanced between her and Ron and a little smirk came upon his face.  “Any particular reason?”

“Probably the same as you,” Hermione replied blandly.  She suddenly smiled brightly and grabbed Harry’s hand, dragging him to stand up with her as she looked at Ron and Malfoy.  “I think we need a refill and Madam Rosmerta looks busy, we’ll be right back.”

And with that, she dragged a confused Harry into the steadily growing crowd, leaving Ron alone with Malfoy.

The redhead drummed his fingers next to his cup, pointedly not looking at the Slytherin occupying the same table as him.  The music’s tempo was picking up and he watched the dance crowd move faster and grow louder.

On the other side of the dance crowd, he saw Professor Opacre and her brother standing with a group of witches and wizards, gesturing as she talked with them.  Some of them were carefully keeping their distance while others were gesturing back animatedly, faces varied in emotion towards the vampires.

He heard Malfoy exhale and lean across the table closer to him.

“You know,” Malfoy said in as low a voice as he could manage in the crowded area, “it’s more than likely that Opacre was the one who helped him.”

Ron tapped the wood a few more times before taking a deep breath and exhaling.  “Probably.  He stayed after on Friday to ask her something.”

“And you let him?” Malfoy questioned.

Ron finally turned to face the blond and gave him a hard look.  “I don’t _let_ him do anything, Malfoy.  And before anything else, keep in mind that neither do you.”

He saw Malfoy’s jaw clench and when he spoke, his voice was tight but still controlled.  “I never said I did or wanted to.  I just thought that after our talk - ”

“I remember, Malfoy,” Ron said shortly, picking up his drink again and taking a sip.

~~~~~

_Ron leaned against the stone wall, his arms folded and his gaze straight at the opposite end of the hallway._

_“Your mother was a Prewett, wasn’t she?”  Malfoy asked as he stood by a nearby window, hands carefully on the window sill after Ron had tried to hex him for trying to put them in his pockets.  The sleeve of his robe still smoldered a bit._

_“What, you found something else to rag on my family about, Malfoy?” Ron scowled.  “Not pointy enough?”_

_He saw Malfoy take a deep breath through his nose and slowly exhale as he clenched and unclenched his hands.  ‘Good,’ Ron thought sourly.  ‘I shouldn’t be the only one suffering his presence.’_

_“I was merely asking,” Malfoy said after he finished unclenching his fingers, “because I wondered why your mother, vocal as she is, didn’t say anything about our current Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.”_

_Ron tensed.  “Exactly what are you -”_

_Malfoy turned to face him fully and folded his arms across his chest.  “The last Venator who was a Prewett died before You-Know-Who fell.  So I’m guessing you didn’t learn those tactics from him.”_

_“Damn it, you too,” Ron muttered, glaring out the window at the crescent moon.  He had seen the same look Malfoy had earlier on his mother when his aunt visited, so very long ago.  It hadn’t ended well then either and it was the last time his aunt had been left alone with the Weasley children._

_“My mother’s side as well,” said Malfoy.  “Although I imagine a bit more as you really didn’t seem to know about the war.  Or Opacre.”_

_“Don’t know, don’t care,” Ron said bluntly, straightening up from his stance against the wall.  “And the fact that you’re involved - ”  He suddenly remembered Malfoy at the beginning of the year, coming out from behind the Head Table with Professor Opacre and Dumbledore.  The only reason a student would have to go back there…“Hang on.  You’re a member?” he asked incredulously, giving the Slytherin a double take.  “You?”_

_“No, not yet officially,” Malfoy said.  He tilted his head.  “But when the wizards in the association found out that Dumbledore invited a vampire to teach at Hogwarts and he fought them down through the Ministry and school board, I was asked to check in and keep an eye out as a compromise.”_

_“How wonderful for you,” Ron frowned.  “Still has nothing to do with me.  My mum lost a brother to that – ”_

_“Which, again,” interrupted Malfoy, taking a step forward as he studied the redhead, “makes me wonder why she didn’t say anything when Professor Opacre was announced.  I know a letter was sent to all the parents before the students arrived.”_

_Ron’s frown deepened.  “I don’t remember that.  She trusts Dumbledore, she must’ve figured he wouldn’t have let just any vampire in.”  He tried to think back to the summer but all he could remember was her tight looks at the Daily Prophets and fretful comments about Harry, who hadn’t been allowed to come over for the summer due to safety concerns._

_“You said she lost a brother,” Malfoy said._

_“Yeah,” Ron answered, giving him a dark look.  “And she knows exactly that it wasn’t just the vampire’s fault.  Look, Malfoy, I don’t know what your angle is here.  My mum isn’t the biggest fan of vampires, sure, but I wouldn’t say she’s any worse than any other person in the wizarding world.  So if you’re trying to - ”_

_“Then why did you volunteer?” Malfoy asked, tilting his head slightly._

_Ron shifted uncomfortably, the snacks pilfered from the kitchens weighing at him.  “I just thought I would give it a shot, alright?  I didn’t - ”_

_“Why did you show them tactics only someone trained as a Venator would know?” said Malfoy quietly.  “You had to know they would recognize it.”_

_There was a long silence as the redhead ground his teeth and stared at the wall._

_“My aunt showed me some things my uncle taught her when I was younger,” he finally said.  “Basics.  Just to be safe, she said.  Just in case.”  He glared at Malfoy.  “What’s it to you?”_

_Malfoy didn’t drop his gaze.  “I’m thinking you’ve seen the way Opacre looks at Harry.  And I’m not talking about the teacher.”_

_Ron felt the small pit of worry he had all year for Harry grow, remembering how the male vampire looked at Harry in the Potions classroom, how he bantered with him on their way back from the lake, how he was there in an instant when Harry fell, how he kept glancing over after every duel…_

_Ron stared hard at Malfoy.  “Again, what’s it to you?”_

_The blond finally showed his first sign of discomfort since the beginning of the conversation.  “I was just pointing out - ”_

_“Do you think I haven’t seen you either?” said Ron, narrowing his eyes and taking a step forward.  “And your history doesn’t do you well, either, Malfoy, whatever you’ve been up to this year.  Don’t think I’ve forgotten how things ended last year.  Or every year before.”_

_Malfoy took a deep breath.  “Things were different then.”_

_Ron snorted.  “Sure.  And you magically decided to grow a conscience since then, right.  Oh wait, you’ve still been such a prick this year, never mind your little asides to Harry when you think I’m not looking, don’t you dare think you - ”_

_“I won’t take the Dark Mark.  And I’d like to date Harry.”_

_Ron’s mouth hung open as he stared at the deadly serious Draco Malfoy in front of him._

_“I saw firsthand what the Dark Lord is capable of this summer,” Malfoy said, his face pale but voice steady.  “And I won’t have any part of it.  And yes, I’m a prick, just as much as you.  I won’t justify anything but I’m telling you right now: I’m not playing around with Harry.”  He narrowed his eyes slightly and dropped his hands.  “But that’s between me and him.  The point as to why I stopped you today is simple.  We’ve both seen Opacre look at him. Judging by how much you went after the vampire, I’m guessing you’re not too thrilled with it either.  So.”_

_He spread his hands and took a step back, leaving the hallway free for Ron to continue on his way to the Gryffindor Tower._

_“You can either go on your way, celebrate the fact that you showed off your skills.  I’m not stopping you.  You fight me, I fight you.  Gryffindors against Slytherins, we keep this up while we pretend we don’t see what’s going on outside Hogwarts.  Or in here.”_

_Ron looked down the hallway, a large part of him wanting to immediately go down it and forget about this entire conversation.  Possibly punch Malfoy just once for good measure._

_He looked back at Malfoy.  “Or?”_

_“Or we take a few minutes and talk,” Malfoy said.  “Find some common ground.”_

_They stood in silence for a few minutes._

_“I would just like it stated for the record that I still think you’re a colossal git,” Ron said finally.  He gave another glance at the hallway and put down the snacks.  “I’m giving you a minute, Malfoy.”_

_By the time he got back to the Tower, a majority of people had already gone to bed, Harry and Hermione drowsily nodding off in one of the couches.  No one asked him about the lack of snacks as he tapped them awake and ushered them to bed.  He hid the welt from a stray hex when he and Malfoy couldn’t stop themselves once._

_The next day, he started pulling aside Gryffindors._

~~~~ 

From the corner of his eye, he glanced at the vampires again before looking back down at the table.  “The people I’ve talked to have kept up their part, stood down and looked the other way.  Took a couple of mentions about Fred and George’s merchandise but most of them seem to agree with ignoring you snakes so long as you ignore us.”  He shrugged.  “I think most of them are more worried about avoiding Hermione’s rampage as O.W.L.s get closer.”

Malfoy hummed and toyed with his drink.

“You didn’t tell them the whole reason, did you?”

Ron said nothing.

“You saw him looking at Harry too, right?” said Malfoy.  Ron watched as his hand tightened around his drink before slowly releasing it.

“Yeah,” Ron exhaled.  He looked back up and fought back his instinctual annoyance as he studied the blond.  “I saw you too.”

Malfoy steadily met his gaze.  “And like I told you, that’s between me and him.”

Ron didn’t lower his eyes.  “Might be more complicated than that, mate.”

Then he shuddered as Malfoy leaned back with a pained look.  “Great Merlin, did I just call you _‘mate’_?  Do you figure I could get away with getting Fred or George to slip me some Firewhiskey to burn that memory away?”

\------

“Hermione, I really don’t think we’re going to get better service here than at the table,” sighed Harry as he was once again pressed against the bar by another patron.  He shifted uncomfortably, making sure his back was still against the wooden bar.  Already there had been too many instances of someone’s hand accidentally touching him places that made him long for thick robes, no matter the warmth of the room.

“Almost done, Harry,” Hermione said absently as she raised her hand towards one of the several attendants dashing behind the bar, filling orders as quickly as possible.  One of them seemed to have seen her because Harry suddenly found himself once again being dragged by Hermione, this time to the other side of the room and still not any closer back to the table.

He hadn’t heard any screaming or seen any stray curses so he was hoping that Draco and Ron had managed to keep to just insults.  That or one of them had been incredibly stealthy in knocking the other unconscious or immobile.

Or worse.

Harry tried to crane his head over the crowd as Hermione continued to pull him.

“Hermione, I really think we should get back, I don’t think it’s such a good idea – where are we going?” he asked as he suddenly found himself standing outside of the Three Broomsticks.

He blinked as he watched Hermione glance up and down the street, scattered with a few mingling Hogwarts students and Hogsmeade residents before dragging him a little further down to one of the gardens closer to Gladrags.  He furrowed his brow as he watched her pull out her wand and wave it with a quick privacy spell before whirling around on him.

“Harry James Potter, is the reason you’ve been so secretive this year because you thought Ron and I would be upset with you for liking men, specifically Draco Malfoy?” Hermione asked as she placed her hands on her hips and gave him a stern look.

His eyes widened.

Her brown eyes narrowed as he said nothing and just stood there, mind whirling with trying to think of how to best answer that.

 **::Well, she partially has it right::** Qye commented as he skimmed a memory.  **::Care to fill her in on the rest?::**

Harry opened his mouth and then closed it again, blinking.

Hermione’s brown eyes searched him as he floundered, slowly softening as the silence went on longer.

“Hermione,” he finally managed, a little helplessly because he had no idea what else to say.

She gave him a long look before sighing and placing a hand on his arm, gently squeezing.

“Harry,” she said gently, “I know you said you needed time to think things through.  That you were still figuring things out.  But you have to know that Ron and I would never cast you aside, not for anything.”

“I didn’t…” he trailed off, still unsure and uncertain.

 ** _::I have no clue what to say here::_** Harry said to Qye because who else was going to understand.

 **::I really hope you aren’t hoping I would know::** Qye said, a slight mystified tone in his voice.  **::I always tended to skip over these kind of situations in books.::**

“Harry,” Hermione said again, sighing slightly as she lowered her hand.  “I can’t say that I know what you’re going through or how you’re feeling but - ”

“I don’t know,” Harry blurted out.  Hermione blinked and he took a step back, resisting the urge to run his hands through his hair, remembering how Draco had complimented it earlier and how it made him feel.  He squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose.  “Hermione, I don’t…”  He slowly exhaled as he dropped his hand and opened his eyes again.  “I have no clue what I’m doing,” he admitted, dropping down on one of the benches in the small decorative garden.

Hermione carefully sat down next to him as he looked at the passing crowd, everyone too caught up in the excitement of the event to notice the two students.

“You know, I didn’t even really think about it,” he said, fiddling with the bracelet around his wrist.  “Not really.  You know I liked Cho last year but I can barely remember how that felt like and I’m not even interested in trying.  And I don’t know why him.  All the misery he’s put us through and all the fights. Even when we started at the beginning of the year, it was still hard.  I’m not blind or forgetful, I remember all the things he’s said and done.  But,” he said as he looked down at the ground, “it’s kind of hard to hold onto that after the summer.  When there are other things to think about.”

Qye stayed silent.

Hermione didn’t say anything but softly put her hand on his shoulder.

“I still don’t know what’s made him different,” he said.  He shrugged and twisted the bracelet again.  “Hell, I don’t even know if maybe he’s just playing a long game or whatever this is.  It’s pretty strange and…I don’t know.”

“Do you like him?” Hermione asked quietly.

Harry stopped playing with the bracelet.  “I think,” he said, just as quietly.  He glanced over at her and gave her a crooked smile.  “Seems I can never do anything normally, can I?”

Hermione gave her own small smile back.  “Oh, I don’t know about that.  This seems pretty typical for a teenager.  Confused hormones and all.”  She bumped his shoulder with hers and laughed softly when he groaned and hung his head. 

“Harry, you don’t have to figure everything out right now,” she said, voice growing serious again.  “There’s no rush.  Ron and I would never turn our backs on you, whatever you’re going through.  If you like…Draco,” she said, only slightly stumbling over his name, “then take it at your pace.  You’ll figure it out, one way or another.  And we’re always going to be here for you.  Always.”

Harry swallowed and closed his eyes, hanging his head.  “Thank you,” he whispered.  She put her head on his shoulder and they sat there for a few minutes.

“I’m not the only one who thinks Ron’s being weirdly civil though, right?” he asked finally.

“Oh no, it’s completely unnatural,” she assured him, patting him on the back.  “I’ll still be running those countercurses when we get back and grilling him every chance I get, don’t worry.  But,” she said brightly, straightening up, “might as well enjoy this peaceful night, right?  Who knows when we’ll get it again.”

He snorted and stood up, holding out his elbow for Hermione to loop her arm around.  “Right.  We better go check that they haven’t bloodied each other yet, bizarre truce or not.”

“So is this it?” Hermione asked as they slowly made their way back to the Three Broomsticks.  “The reason you’ve kept to yourself all year?”

He was quiet for a moment and then glanced over at her.  “Sort of,” he said slowly.  “There’s still…a few other things.”

Hermione looked over at him, a familiar worry creeping back into her eyes

“Don’t worry,” he reassured, squeezing her hand as they stood to get back in.  “Let’s just enjoy tonight for now, okay?”

 **::You know::** Qye said, as Harry and Hermione squeezed themselves back in, **::in many books I’ve read, it’s when people start to say things like this that things tend to go terribly, terribly wrong.::**

 ** _::Yeah, well, real life isn’t exactly like that, Qye::_** Harry grinned as they got back to Draco and Ron, who had thankfully managed to keep their glares to themselves.  Ron pointedly turned away from the blond and started talking with Hermione, who was subtly flicking her wand at him under the table as she sat next to him, smiling at the redhead when he absently shifted to give her more space.  Draco turned to Harry and he felt a slow coil of warmth at the answering smirk. **_::It may not be a perfect night, things might even go awkward, but we’ll make it through.::_**   He slid in next to Draco and ignored the continued glances and whispers at them, the fodder for future gossip.  His hand brushed the blond’s as he turned to look at the dance floor, listened to the music.

 ** _::It’ll be memorable::_** Harry said, warm as he felt Draco’s fingers twine slightly with his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: "Changes" People want to know things and Qye wishes he could give more privacy.


	25. Changes

“Lest, Frater, baby brother dearest,” Marylin said brightly, in the vampiric language as the Hogsmeade council drifted away from them, back to their drinks, “If you break my arm, I’m going to do terrible things to you.  Things that will make you wish for bonnets and frills.”

Her brother made no notice of her threat, staring off into the crowded room, full of Hogwarts students and a few Hogsmeade residents.  When she made the arrangements with Madam Rosmerta, she made sure the regulars would still have access to the tavern while also making sure the students would be safe for event.  She had been a little hesitant that her suggestion for a dance during the last Hogsmeade visit before the intense studying for the O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s began would be cast down.  The event she had encouraged for Valentine’s Day had barely passed with approval and probably because the other staff members had most likely thought it would be a better way to supervise couples who would otherwise no doubt attempt other late night activities. 

This time, she had encouraged the idea of the dance as she saw more and more students tense as the exams loomed closer.  The fact that it would also provide her and Lest with the chance to interact with the wizarding world outside of Hogwarts in a prominent wizarding village was an added bonus.  Thankfully, Dumbledore had thrown his support behind her and she was thrilled with the turnout, watching students of all the Houses mingling together, relaxing and enjoying a night away from studying.  She was enjoying herself immensely and had been thankful that Lest had remained diplomatic with the Hogsmeade council, his arm looped with hers as he answered their questions about the negotiations.

All the while gripping her arm hard enough that she knew she would have bruises.

She reached over with her free hand and dug her nails most unmercifully into the back of his hand.  She grimly smiled as he wrenched his eyes away from the crowd back to her.

Her smile faded as she saw a burning cold light in his eyes.

“Lest?” she asked hesitantly, looking into his eyes, noting how distant and distracted they seemed.  She saw them focus and immediately all traces of fire disappeared behind an indifferent expression.

He glanced down at his hand and carefully untangled his arm from hers.

“There was no need to be violent,” he said, a touch of irritation in his voice.  She saw him glance back into the crowd and his jaw clench.

She tried to follow his gaze but all she could see was a wave of all her students, some dancing more enthusiastically than others.  And then she saw a few of her older students slowly making their way over to her.  She tilted her head as she saw them focused on -

 _‘Oh no,’_ she thought, inwardly wincing, glancing at Lest again.

Before she could hurry her brother away, Lavendar Brown, Parvati and Padma Patil and Alicia Spinnet popped in front of them.

She felt her brother stiffen next to her and gave a giant inward sigh.

“Hello, Professor Opacre,” Alicia grinned at them as the other three alternated between blushing and smiling at them, more specifically her brother.  Marylin forced a smile and gave them a small wave.

“Ms. Spinnet, ladies, I hope you’re all enjoying yourself,” she said as cheerfully as she could, carefully taking a step between Lest and the girls.  “And might I say you all look quite lovely tonight.”

The group murmured their thanks and she saw Alicia glance over her shoulder, none too subtlety at Lest.

“Thanks, Professor,” the Gryffindor Chaser said.  Marylin couldn’t help but wince as the girl straightened herself and looked boldly right at Lest.  “I was wondering if maybe - ”

“No,” Lest bit out and Marylin sighed as he pushed past her, moving quickly through the crowd and out the door before the girls could say anything.

‘ _Well,_ ’ she thought gloomily as the girls gaped after him, bewildered.  _‘At least he didn’t make more of a scene.’_

Outwardly, she gave the hurt Alicia a sympathetic smile.

“I’m sorry about that,” she said apologetically as both Lavender and Parvati whispered their condolences to their disappointed housemate.  “I suppose I should’ve mentioned but I really didn’t think it would be issue, Lest is usually a very intimidating presence to most.  I suppose I forgot all about Gryffindor bravery,” she said ruefully.

“It’s okay,” Alicia said, giving a half-hearted smile.  “I mean, I wasn’t trying for anything serious, I just figured…”

Marylin patted the teenager on the shoulder.  “Unfortunately, Lest is quite taken.  Has been for some while.  And for most vampires, it is a very serious thing.”

“Oh,” Alicia said, blinking, her hurt fading away in her surprise.  Her eyes widened even more and she nervously glanced over at the exit Lest had left through.  “Oh!  I didn’t offend him, did I?  I mean, I didn’t know, are they - ”

“It’s a long story,” Marylin sighed.  “Quite complicated too.  But none of your worry!” she said cheerfully, waving her hand as if to cast away the topic.  “You can still enjoy the dance!”  She paused as the girls glanced at each other, looking around the room again as a thought came to mind.  “Although…”

“Yes, Professor Opacre?” Padma asked curiously.  Marylin grinned at them, a little sparkle fluttering around inside her.

“Have any of you happened to see Harry yet?”

\-----

“So!”

Seamus plopped his hands down on their table, his eyes gleaming as Dean waved ruefully behind him.

“What’s all this about then?” he grinned widely, looking over at Harry and the Slytherin next to him.

Harry inwardly sighed.

 **::I could drop him again, if you’d like?::** Qye offered, taking a brief moment to peer through his eyes.  **::Maybe spill something?::**  
  
**_::It’s okay::_** Harry said wearily.  **_::I knew it was coming eventually.::_**

 **::Offer stands::** Qye said as he retreated back into reading another memory.  **::Loud place, lots of people, things happen, you know.::**  
  
Harry fought back a grin as he looked up at the intensely interested Seamus.  Draco turned to the dance floor, interrupted in the conversation they had been having about the Thestral from their project before the Gryffindors joined them.  Ron sighed across the table where he had been dodging Hermione’s persistent questions about his deal with Draco while also awkwardly trying to compliment her.

“Hello to you, too,” Harry said dryly, placing aside his almost finished drink.  “Enjoying yourself?”

“Brilliant, thrilled, having the time of life, wanting to know what’s going on here,” Seamus said immediately, still peering at him.  His eyes moved over to Ron and he raised an eyebrow.  “This wouldn’t have anything to do with Ron suddenly doing a complete one-eighty on his desire to rid the world of Slytherins, specifically pointy blond gits?”

Draco turned back, an exasperated look in his eyes.  Before either of them could say anything, Blaise Zabini suddenly appeared next to Seamus, his eyebrows raised in curiosity.

“I was about to ask the same thing,” the Slytherin said lightly.  He looked back at Draco and tilted his head.  “Anything to say, Draco?”

“What is this?” Draco asked irritably, frowning at them both.  “I didn’t realize your lives were so utterly dull that you had to pry into ours.”

“Only when your lives start to impact mine,” Zabini said blandly.  He wrinkled his nose slightly.  “Never thought you and Weasleys would ever be so cozy.”

“I hate you so much,” Ron said conversationally to Draco, his arm draped over the back of Hermione’s seat.  “I should be granted an Order of Merlin for how much I completely and utterly hate you and am not doing anything.”

“I’m sure the Minister is getting right on that,” Harry said, rolling his eyes.  He grinned as Hermione dug her elbow into Ron’s side, making him let out a soft ‘ _oof!’_ , before turning her frown on their companions.

“Don’t you have anything better to do then dig for gossip?” she sniffed.

“I think this is a little more than gossip,” Zabini said dryly at the same time as Seamus grinned widely and answered with a cheerful, “Nope!”

“To be fair,” Dean added in with his own grin, “you have to admit this is completely bizarre.  I mean, it was already weird when Ron started - ”

“Okay, really,” Harry said, turning back to Draco, “what did you do to him to make him agree to this?”

“You don’t know?” Dean asked, surprised.

“You know, I thought Granger might’ve strong-armed him into it to keep him focused on the O.W.L.s,” Zabini said thoughtfully.  “Maybe slapped Draco again.”

“Excuse you,” Draco said indignantly, straightening up in his seat.  Harry hid his smile behind a hand as he coughed, apparently not too well judging by the frown the blond gave him.

“All I know is one minute we’re keeping tradition alive and the next you’re telling everyone to back off unless they wanted to feel the wrath of the Weasley twins with Malfoy wealth backing,” Zabini shrugged.

“Malfoy’s Galleons are just good as anyone else’s,” Fred said cheerfully as he popped up behind Zabini, making the Slytherin jump.

“Possibly better since we’re liberating them from him,” George added as he popped up on Zabini’s other side.  The dark-skinned boy uneasily shifted between the twins and warily kept his hands to himself.

“Oi!” Seamus interrupted, pushing himself to the front again.  Dean rolled his eyes and snagged him before he jostled the table.  “Still wondering here!”

“And interrupting us!” Hermione said exasperatedly.  She made a little shooing gesture with her hand.  “Don’t you have better things to do?”

“But - ” Seamus protested.

“They’re on a date,” Ron said bluntly.  “For whatever reason Harry’s gone mental and giving the git a chance.  And I’m asking Hermione to dance because I’ve done my task as best friend but even I have limits.  Bugger off now.”  He turned to Hermione, whose cheeks were turning pink.  “Want to dance and get away from these idiots?”

“Alright then,” she said, pink but smiling and giving Ron a pleased look.  Ron apparently realized what he just did as his face was slowly turning red but he nonetheless stood up and held out a hand for her.  They pushed their way past the people around the table and Harry grinned after them.

 **::About time!::** Qye said exasperatedly.  Harry couldn’t agree more.

Then he realized he was left with the crowd of people who were still giving them curious looks.  Even the Weasley twins were grinning in a manner that was not at all comforting.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” Draco muttered in Harry’s ear, “but should we take a cue from Weasley?”

“That’s an idea,” Harry murmured back.

“See?” Seamus exclaimed, pointing right at them.  “That, that right there!”  He looked around at the others.  “I’m not the only one wondering about this here, right?”

“No, but you’re the only one making a scene,” Dean sighed, pulling the Irish teenager back as Harry and Draco stood up.  “Sorry, I held him back as long as I could,” he added.  He glanced behind them, where there were other students not too subtlety looking over at them.  “At least it’s coming from a friendly face?”

“I’m just making sure I’m not going to suddenly find myself on the other end of a Weasley product,” Zabini pointed out.

“That’s up for debate if you don’t hold the rest back,” Draco said coolly, tilting his head over to where the rest of their Slytherin housemates lounged by the bar area, eyeing their group.  Harry saw Pansy Parkinson scowling, surrounded by her friends, before the crowd moved again and blocked their view.

He tilted his head over his shoulder as he felt a faint touch on his back, seeing Draco nod over to one of the less crowded exits.

“You going to be okay there, Harry?” one of the twins asked, the easy grin on his face at contrast with the sharp look he was giving the blond.  “You just say the word…”

“…and we wouldn’t mind giving Malfoy here a preview of what exactly his Galleons are paying for,” the other twin finished.

Harry looked at Draco again.  Despite the wary look he was giving the twins, his hand never moved from resting lightly against the small of Harry’s back, warm and solid and pleasant.

He looked back at the twins.

“I think we’re good,” he smiled slightly.

\----- 

“I’d apologize about that,” Harry said as they passed by the Hogsmeade Post Office and skirted the edges of the main street, “but your friends are just as bad.”

They had dodged out of the Three Broomsticks, leaving a pouting Seamus with Dean who promised to let Ron and Hermione know that they were out for a walk.  Zabini had just shrugged and wandered back to the Slytherins after Draco gave him a long look.

“I don’t remember mine threatening you with unimaginable humiliation,” Draco drawled, glancing at Harry as they started to wander into the outskirts of the village.

Harry gave him an amused look.  “I don’t remember mine doing that earlier.”

Draco snorted.  “Clearly you weren’t listening to the same overprotective message I was.”  He shook his head.  “I almost feel a little sorry for the littlest redhead if that was any indication of how they treat people who - ” He stopped and cleared his throat.

He looked at the blond from the corner of his eye.

 **::Are…are you kidding me?::** Qye asked disbelieving.  **::After all this, are you honestly telling me he stops _there_?  Seriously?::**

 ** _::Look, it’s not that simple::_** Harry muttered back to the other boy, absently rubbing the parts of his arms that weren’t covered by the three-quarter sleeves.

 **::But…but…::** Qye said in a bewildered voice.  **::It’s so obvious, why - ::**  
  
**_::It’s never that easy.::_**   He felt Qye’s confusion and sighed.  **_:: Look, just leave it.::_** Qye said nothing more but he could feel the other’s puzzlement.

Harry started as Draco reached for one of his arms.  He started slightly as the blond slowly began to rub his hand up and down it, gently heating it.

“As much as I enjoy seeing you in something other than your typical outfits, perhaps next time something a little more practical?” Draco said, looking up at him before releasing his arm.

Harry tilted his head, hiding the thrill at the thought of next time.  “What?” he said slyly, a small smirk playing at his lips.  “The black robes and dragonhide gloves don’t do it for you?”

“There’s only so far dragonhide can appeal,” Draco said dryly.  Then he gave Harry a long look, something dark and heated flickering in his eyes and making Harry forget about the night chill for a moment.  “Although, if you’d ever like to try it out in other ways, I’d be more than happy to give you a hand.”

 **::And with that, I…think I’m just going to stay as far in here as I can::** Qye said hurriedly.  **::There are limits on things even I want to know.  I think.::**

Harry jolted, having forgotten about the other boy for a brief moment, and looked away with a blush on his cheeks.  **_::Yeah::_** he said unsteadily as Qye buried himself further back, immediately pulling up another memory.  **_::That…that would probably be good.::_**

 **::Have fun::** Qye said, then paused.  **::Just…you know…::**   There a was a mutual silence.  **::Okay, I’m going to stop now, there’s no delicate way to do this.::**

 ** _::Please::_** was all Harry sighed.

They reached the part of the village where the paved streets slowly transformed into a worn path, the houses growing further and further apart as the trees grew larger.  Without giving it a second thought, his feet automatically began walking a familiar path to the Shrieking Shack.  It took him a moment to realize Draco wasn’t with him and he stopped to turn around.

Draco stood back warily, eyeing the path and Harry.

“Any chance I could convince you to go back and dance instead?” Draco asked carefully.

He stared at him.  “I’m sorry, you saw me at the Yuletide Ball last year, right?” he finally said, raising his eyebrows.

“Somehow, I very much doubt there’s going to be much formal dancing back there,” Draco replied, rolling his eyes.

Harry thought about the way he saw the others dancing, bodies pressed close or throwing themselves to the beat, moving in ways in that he was not yet comfortable doing in front of so many people.  And then he thought about the way people stared at him and Draco as soon as they walked in and the way they kept glancing over at them, the gazes and whispers following them as they left.

“Yeah, I’m still going to say no,” Harry said, wrinkling his nose.

“Scared, Potter?” Draco smirked, raising an eyebrow.

He snorted.  “You know you’re being painfully obvious, right?”

“I’m sorry, I rather thought a night like this typically doesn’t include going to places considered to be fuel for nightmares,” Draco grumbled, resuming his walk and joining the black-haired teenager.

“A night like this, huh?” Harry hummed, keeping leisurely pace with the blond.  He watched the Shrieking Shack appear in the distance, dark and looming.  It was offset by the clear sky with its almost full moon, the stars accompanying its light to shine down.  He couldn’t help but smile slightly as he felt Draco press closer, mumbling under his breath about dilapidated conditions. 

It was pleasant and quiet.  It made it all more jarring when Harry finally couldn’t hold it in any longer and abruptly asked, “What is this exactly?”

Draco glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow.  “It’s the Shrieking Shack,” he said dryly.  A very wry look came upon his face.  “Possibly the same place I miraculously saw your head floating about a couple of years ago.”  
  
“Seeing my face anywhere you go, huh?” he grinned momentarily before shaking his head.  “No, come on,” he said, walking past Draco to stand in front of the fence surrounding the property.  “Are we just…not going to talk about this?”

Draco joined him and looked thoughtfully at the shack.  He glanced at Harry.  “I thought I was pretty clear earlier.” 

“I just…” Harry sighed and gazed at that the shack and the barren land surrounding it, mindful of the careful manner the blond was holding himself.  “I guess I’m just surprised by how easy this is going.  It almost feels too easy.”  He toyed with one of the loose panels of the fence.  “You can’t tell me you don’t feel the same way.”

 “I suppose I just don’t want to question it too much,” Draco shrugged, dropping one of his hands on the post.  “And I wouldn’t exactly say it’s been easy.”  
  
“Really?” Harry said, a little disbelieving as he looked at the blond.  “Four years of what can at best be called rivalry and now we’re…” He made a small gesture with his hand, brows furrowing as he frowned slightly.  “What are we doing?”

“It’s a date, Potter,” Draco said, giving him a sidelong look.  “Thought it was pretty obvious.”  
  
Harry snorted and kicked at the thin grass at their feet.  “Right.  And since when does the great Draco Malfoy want a date with me?”  He gave the blond a look of his own.  “And don’t dodge this, I’m actually asking.”

“I don’t know,” Draco shrugged again, taking a step back and dropping his gaze, leaving Harry feeling colder without his nearby warmth.  “But this summer put a lot of things in perspective for me.  Made me think about the person I wanted to be, what I wanted to do.”  He looked back up at Harry, his eyes shadowed and careful.  “Some things change people, as you should know after last year.”

Harry flinched and backed off from the fence, folding his arms.

“That wasn’t a stab at you,” Draco quickly added, taking a step back towards him.  “I just…”  He sighed and raked his hand through his hair.  “You’re calling this easy?” he muttered.

“Easier than it could’ve been,” Harry said carefully, looking away from the blond and back at the Shrieking Shack.  “If you recall, the last time you talked about this I left you oozing on the train.”

“I remember,” Draco said.  Harry looked back at him but he saw no trace of anger or irritation in the gray eyes studying him.  “The point I’m trying to make is that I’m not the same person you hexed last year.”

“Is that why you’ve been so civil?” Harry asked quietly.

Draco shrugged, hooking one of his thumbs in his pocket as he looked down the pathway.  “I didn’t plan this,” he said, studying the path as Harry studied him.  “If you recall, we started out the year very similar to the others.”  He looked back at Harry.  “You kind of crept on me,” Draco said simply, his gaze straight and unflinching.  “By the time I realized what I wanted, I didn’t see any reason to fight it.  So if it feels easy to you it might be because for me, it’s been a long time coming.”

Harry shifted under his stare, still unused to the upfront manner from the Slytherin.  “What happened to you this summer?” Harry murmured, hardly expecting an answer.

He certainly didn’t expect Draco’s eyes to darken and his jaw clench.

“You’ve seen part of it,” Draco said lowly.  “Professor Opacre being here and all.

Harry blinked.

In the back of his head, he felt Qye’s attention slowly rise up.

“What does she have to do with anything?” Harry said, mystified.

Draco tilted his head at him as he leaned carefully against one of the old fence posts.  “You willing to hear me this time?  You didn’t seem too open to it last time when I warned you about Opacre.”

Harry exhaled and ignored Qye’s flicker of frustration.  “Kind of hard to take you seriously when it seems all either of you want to do is beat each other bloody.”  He moved to stand next the blond against the fence.  “Didn’t think you’d act that way with anyone other than me or Ron.”

Draco snorted as he folded his arms.  “Jealous?”

Harry knocked his shoulder into him and gave him a look.  “What’s the story behind you and them?”

“It’s pretty long,” Draco said, tilting his head.

Harry didn’t look away.  “I’m not going anywhere.”  Draco’s gray eyes stayed with his for a long while, searching and unfathomable.  Finally, he took a deep breath and looked away at one of the tall trees around them.

“I’m sure you know full well of my father’s intention for power, whatever the means,” Draco said, absently toying with his silk tie.  “When his last gambit for it failed, he took to other avenues, the Ministry, the school board.  But the ties to You Know Who followed him and he needed something a little more.

“He had heard that the heir of the current reigning family of vampires needed someone, someone who would gain all the connections and power that come with such a position.  So I was introduced to Opacre.”  He grimaced.  “Well, that didn’t go well at all.  He was arrogant, demanding, thought he knew better than anyone else, and - ”  The blond stopped and gave Harry an annoyed glower as the other teenager coughed, raising a hand to cover his smile.  “Do you want to hear this or not?” he asked sourly, his shoulders hunching up.

Harry wiped away all traces of his smile and nudged the sulking blond’s shoulder with his own.  “Sorry, continue.”

Draco eyed him before sniffing.  “Yes, well, like I said, that didn’t go well at all.  I remember people having to separate us even then.”  He scowled briefly before shaking his head and continuing on.  “Still, my father wanted to exhaust all options.  My mother didn’t approve of it but my father kept saying it would help.  When I was ten, I went to the ceremony where Opacre was to pick the person he wanted.  Fortunately it wasn’t me.  But my father didn’t want to give up, not yet.  I found out about the vampire war early on because…”  His jaw clenched.  “Well, the Opacres didn’t want me.  But there were the others.”

“The Dazains,” Harry said, blinking as he remembered the name.

Draco nodded, gaze darkening.  “Yes.  They’re the other side of this.  My father made advances towards them not long after that ceremony and that’s when we found out about the war that started.  My mother put her foot down as soon as she realized what was going on.  She made my father have me more involved with the Venators instead of a world that was split in half.”

 “The what?” Harry asked confusedly.

Draco glanced at him.  “Venators,” he said.  He rolled his shoulders and looked back over at the Shrieking Shack.  “They’re an association of…well.  For legal and practical reasons, hunters aren’t exactly sanctioned by any government vampires reside in.  The wizarding world and vampires long ago made an unspoken agreement to stay out of each other’s way.  It was basically understood that if they were ever to enter a conflict, the damage would be devastating.  So Venators are the ones outside of the law to call should a vampire ever turn rogue.  For obvious reasons, the vampires don’t take too kindly of others interfering with what they perceive to be their own affairs but…” He shrugged.  “If they can’t handle it, the Venators are there to make sure no one else gets hurt.”

 **::I never knew that::** Qye said quietly.  Harry started, having forgotten about the other boy.  Before he could say anything, Draco continued.

“My mother’s side of the family has long been a part of the Venator association,” Draco said.  “You’ll actually find most wizarding families have had someone in the family or known someone who was.”

“I thought wizards and vampires agreed not to fight each other?” Harry said, brows furrowing.

Draco nodded.  “And as I said, the Venators are not officially sanctioned by any government.  They’re not even all wizards.  Yet they’ve existed for almost as long as vampires have.”  He glanced over at Harry.  “You could maybe see why Professor Opacre has been spending so much time this year attempting to educate students about vampires, trying to bypass generations of careful separation and mistrust.”

Harry’s mind was whirling with the influx of new information, barely mindful of Qye silently listening in.  A thought struck him and he frowned at Draco.  “Wait…if wizards and vampires have really had this animosity all this time, why did your father try to tie you in?”

Draco’s jaw clenched again.  “My…father sees power.  To him, the vampires are just a little above those without magic because of the talents they possess.  Talents that no wizard has ever gained.  Again, you have to remember that there’s been an unspoken agreement between us and them to stay apart.  Hardly anyone has ever actually had contact with them, outside of those with Venators inside the family.  And even then, remember the association has to remain outside of the law, or at least enough that the vampires in power can pretend that no official declaration of war has been made.”  Draco caught sight of Harry’s overwhelmed expression and gave him a crooked smile.  “I told you it was a long story.”

“Merlin,” Harry muttered, rubbing his temple slightly.  He frowned again as another thought hit him and he gave Draco a slightly suspicious look.  “Why haven’t I heard anything about this from any of the others?”

Draco drummed his fingers on the fence lightly.  “Goes back to the fact that the wizarding world hardly has contact with them.  Rogue vampires, maybe, once in a while, who quickly get taken care by Venators if not their own while wizards and witches look the other way.”  He scowled lightly as he gripped the fence.  “I imagine most students had some notions about vampires but were most likely more curious than anything.   Coupled with the fact that they sent the most disarming vampire they could…”   He shrugged stiffly.

Harry looked at his stiff posture, his dark expression, and quietly said, “You really don’t like them, do you?”  He was silent and then continued, “You don’t like _him_.  And not just because you think he’s a jerk, is it?”

“No,” Draco replied, voice tight and almost snarling.

Harry waited.

“I had a cousin who died as a result of him,” Draco said lowly, his gaze far-off and dark.  “He had participated more in the Muggle world, thought there were some things the wizarding community could use from them.  My mother made sure never to speak of him while my father was around.  I think I’ve only met him a few times in my life and never at the manor, never where my father could see him.”  He was quiet for a moment.  “I remember him always trying to make me laugh with these terrible jokes and he would grin when I called them stupid.  He never took offense.  Those few times I saw him with family, he always wanted to make sure everyone was comfortable.  He could get into a conversation with anyone.  Despite thinking he was a fool for wanting to spend time with Muggles, I liked him. 

“My aunt told us what happened.  One of his Muggle friends got caught up with their world, had been in midst of becoming a Carus to one of the vampires on the other side of the war.  And my cousin went, without knowing anything about what was going on or why the ceremony was put together so quickly.  Opacre ordered a hit during the middle of the commitment.  There were families there, friends like my cousin who didn’t know better, and he knowingly ordered the hit.”

Qye stayed silent, stunned and disbelieving.  Harry swallowed his own reaction.

“The Venators scoured the scene after the fact,” Draco growled.  “Traced the fire to an arsonist instead of the faulty wiring claimed in the report.  Interrogated the arsonist who told them she had been paid to cover the blood.  To hide the traces of another Opacre kill, in the name of winning a war.”

“And I’m not even saying that I don’t understand,” Draco continued, his fingers flexing on the fence, knuckles turning white each time he squeezed.  “I’ve heard stories of the Dazains.  They’re well known for having the most rogues and consequently, the Venators have a large record on them.  Brutal and cruel with talent to make them dangerous.  But the Opacres aren’t any more innocent.  My cousin had been an innocent.  The people, the families there, had been innocent in their stupid war.  And he didn’t care.  When the Venators sent a follow up message, he told them to stay out of it.”  The wood creaked as Draco clenched his hands on it.  “He didn’t even apologize.”

“They come here with good intentions, they say, but I see them talking with Dumbledore, studying us, learning about us.  Centuries of separation and it is no coincidence that they’ve come to us as soon as the Dazains ally with the Dark Lord,” Draco growled.  “The students see Professor Opacre teaching and I see her training us for a war.”

“She wouldn’t do that,” Harry protested, straightening up.

 **::She would never do that::** Qye mumbled, near silently.  **::They’d never…::**

“She takes orders from her brother, Harry,” Draco said, looking at him.  “Has been for years now.  Say what you will but they aren’t just here for good relations.  Not just for that.”

Harry tried to reconcile the vampire professor who had a smile for everyone, patted his head and teased him, helped him with his outfit with a strange joy with the war-motivated picture Draco was giving him and couldn’t grasp it.

He looked at Draco and asked the question he’d been holding back.  “Are they any worse than Voldemort?”

Draco flinched.

“Not pulling any punches tonight, are you?” he muttered.

“I think this is something we really need to talk about,” Harry replied, as steadily as he could.  “If I’m going to listen to you, believe anything you say about the vampires I need to know you understand those types of actions are reprehensible across the board.”

Draco was silent for a moment.  “My father…with the Dark Lord’s rise came back the thought of entertaining relations with vampires.  Nothing my mother said would dissuade him.  She made me go to the Venators almost as soon as I got back home, tried to keep me away.  And I wasn’t even really thinking about it while I trained with them.  It was just my mother being overprotective as usual, I thought.  Yes, the vampires were annoying but they hardly mattered.  They were never going to be a part of our world.  Surely the Dark Lord, with his value on blood purity, would never enter into such a deal.”

“All my life, my father told me about the glory that awaited us should he ever return.  I never thought about exactly what he would do,” Draco whispered, a touch of bewilderment in his voice.  “My father kept saying things would be better, that purebloods would take the place they needed.  That trusting Muggles and the world outside of magic would bring nothing but ruin to our people.  And what does he do instead?”

He was silent for a long while.

“There was a family,” Draco said distantly, a far away look in his eyes.  “My parents had gone to school with the father, knew him as one of those who could’ve been in Slytherin if he just wanted a bit more.  They had a young girl, three or four.”  He swallowed.  “I heard my father talking with the Dark Lord.  The Dazains had gone at them.  A test, they said.  What remained…they couldn’t even determine who was who.  He ordered it covered up, to keep it quiet so that the others wouldn’t falter with the alliance with the Dazains.”

Draco swallowed.  “And then they laughed,” he said hoarsely.  “They laughed because they said it was a good start.  They were just another family who got mixed up with vampires and an example of how it would work for their benefit.”  He was silent.  “They were a family and they died and my father _laughed_.”

Qye trembled, horrified.

“I don’t want to live like that,” Draco said quietly.  “I don’t want to _be_ like that.”

Harry hesitantly took hold of one of Draco’s hands. 

Draco stopped.  “You’ve done that a lot this year,” he said quietly, gray eyes giving him an indescribable look.

Harry looked down at their hands, Draco’s pale hands warm and familiar in his own.  He thought about Draco in their first year, holding out his hand to Harry, who barely knew anything about the wizarding world.  He thought about how he didn’t even have to think about rejecting the offer from a boy who reminded him too much of things he didn’t want.  Then he thought about this year, how he hardly thought about it when he reached out every single time for this pale hand and found it waiting for him.

“I’m sorry,” Draco said.  Harry looked up at his silver eyes, soft and aching.  “I can’t apologize for my ambition because I do want things, will always want things.  But I’m sorry it took something horrible to happen for me to realize that there are ways I won’t go to achieve it, that it is not the kind of person I want to be.  And I’m sorry it happened to you.”

“I’m sorry it happened to you, too” Harry said softly.  He gathered up his courage and let go of Draco’s hand.  He heard the blond slowly exhale and then still as Harry moved his hands to his chest.

Harry could hear his own heartbeat beating rapidly, matching the beating of Draco’s own beneath his fingers, echoing in his ears as he searched Draco’s eyes.  The silence rested heavily between them.

Harry took a breath.  “Now what?”

Draco’s arm curved around him.  “Should we take this a step at a time?” he murmured.

Harry tilted his head back.  “Yeah,” he breathed and took that next step.

Their lips pressed together gently, warm and inviting. 

\------

Leaning against one of the drooping trees, hidden by the shadows cast by its long branches, Lest’s eyes burned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: "The Kiss” – Where the spiral to the end begins.
> 
> (*calmly sips tea and relaxes as everything begins to hit the fan*)


	26. The Kiss

It was warm. 

He could feel the gentle pressure of Draco’s lips against his, his breath against his mouth as they hesitantly moved against each other.  The heat of his body burned, the fingers grasping his hip, his palm flush against his back.  The feel of his chest pressed against his as Draco moved closer to dip his head, tracing the edges of his mouth tenderly, moving to his jaw as the pressure alternated while Harry panted softly.  His breath quickened as Draco dove again, straight for his lips, and he couldn’t help but arch his back, his own fingers tangling in Draco’s hair, come undone and brushing against his face.  Merlin only knew what his own hair looked like.

The kiss was warm and inviting, dazing him with each breath they took.  Harry lost track of when his eyes had closed, trying to ground himself with the taste of butterbeer still lingering on Draco’s lips.

A groan reverberated in Draco’s chest, thrumming against him and his fingers tightened again, his breath gasping as his skin burned.

**::Harry.::**

Harry’s eyes fluttered and slid shut again as Draco pressed harder against him, his hands settling tightly on his hips as his thumbs toyed at the edges of his shirt.

**::Harry.::**

He murmured and he heard another groan from Draco, its sound luring him closer to the blond.

**::Harry, stop!::**

His eyes flew open and he gasped as he broke away.

Draco’s eyes shot open as well and Harry swallowed hard at the sight of his flushed cheeks and red lips, the glazed and heated look still in his silver eyes.  He wavered, disoriented, body instantly wanting to go back to that feverish haziness.

 **::Harry!::** Qye said, a touch desperately.  **::I’m still here!::**

Harry’s stomach dropped.

He swallowed shakily, taking another step back as he unsteadily ran a hand through his hair.

“Harry?” Draco said hoarsely, making the other teenager shiver and ache at the sound.  Emerald eyes watched with not a small touch of dismay as the heat in the silver eyes slowly began to fade away, confusion growing.  “Harry, what - ”

“Sorry,” Harry said, breathlessly.  “Sorry, I just…I needed a moment.”

Draco blinked, still confused, and Harry took in a deep breath, slowly exhaling as he took another step back.  “I’m not…this isn’t me saying no.  I just need a minute.”

“Okay,” Draco said slowly, taking his own step back.  Harry glanced up and sighed as he saw his eyes start to close off into a cool expression.  “We should get back, I suppose.”  He looked towards that path that led back to the village, a deep frown on his face.

Harry couldn’t help himself and took a step forward, carefully putting a hand on the other’s arm.  Draco didn’t look at him and Harry could feel the tension in his body.

“We’re taking this a step at a time, right?” Harry reminded him, dropping his hand.  “There’s a lot I’ve got to wrap my head around.”

“Right,” Draco exhaled.  He stuck his hands in his pockets and looked at Harry from the corner of his eye.  Harry met his eyes and couldn’t help but flush at the sight of his reddened lips and mussed hair.  Whatever Draco saw on his face seemed to help because he saw his shoulders start to dip, relaxing as he nodded.

“Why don’t you go on ahead?” Harry offered, scrubbing his hands together.  “I think I need a moment of fresh air.”

The ghost of a smirk played at Draco’s lips.  “Fresh air, huh?”

Harry’s flush deepened and he tried to shove the other teenager, making Draco duck and back away with a small laugh.

“I’ll give you a few minutes,” Draco said, backing away.  “But if I don’t see you soon, I’ll come fetch you.  Merlin knows what Granger would do to me if I lost you now.”

“Merlin knows what she’d do to you if she saw what I looked like now,” Harry replied dryly, smoothing his rumpled clothing.  He couldn’t help but grin briefly at Draco’s grimace.

“True.”  Draco hesitated for a moment and then nodded at him and started walking back to the main street.  Harry watched him until he disappeared from view and then sighed deeply and dropped his head to rest against a wooden post.

 **::I’m sorry::** Qye said quietly.  **::I…I’m so sorry, I know you…it’s just I could feel you - ::**

 **::Stop::** Harry interrupted, flushing as he closed his eyes.  **::Just…sorry.  I forgot.::**  
  
**::I…I’ll apologize for you?::** Qye tried.  **::When I get out?::**  
  
Harry covered his face.  **::Merlin, please no.::**

He stood there silently for a moment, the pleasant feelings dimming until all he could feel was his uncertainty and the near misery of Qye.

 ** _::You okay?::_** he asked the other boy quietly.  **_::I know that was a lot to hear and - ::_**

 **::I don’t understand::** Qye interrupted, frustrated.  **::I don’t understand, I don’t think he’s lying but Lest would never do that.  He can be a jerk and aggravating and gods knows that I’ve wanted to knock him down several pegs since the moment I’ve met him but he wouldn’t do that.  Neither of them would.::**  
**_  
::Sounds like a lot has changed since when you knew them::_** Harry replied cautiously.  **_::People do that.::_**

 **::Imagine if he had been talking about Granger and Weasley::** Qye said, almost harshly.  **::Imagine if he had been saying those things about the people you care about.::**

 ** _::Except he_** **has _said crap about them::_** Harry sighed, opening his eyes and straightening up.  **_::Said worse things about them.  But it’s like you said, I don’t think he’s lying either.  He’s not acting like the person he was before.  The look in his eyes, everything he’s done this year - ::_** He cut himself off and then continued in a quieter voice, **_::I think I believe him.::_**

 **::Maybe he’s mistaken::** Qye tried, desperately.  **::He’s trained with people sent to hunt vampires, maybe they’re just biased.  You heard him, wizards and vampires have hardly had any interaction, who’s to say there isn’t some miscommunication going on.  You don’t know - ::**

Behind him, a low voice said something.

Harry whirled around, his hand immediately reaching for his wand as Qye stopped, surprised.

“Lest?” Harry blurted out, blinking rapidly as his hand dropped away from his wand.  His heartbeat started to settle from where it had begun to pound furiously against his chest.

The vampire stood a few feet away from him, his hands casually in his coat pockets.  There was a strange look in his eyes and his body stood stiff and tense.

“Hello, Harry,” he said quietly.

Harry shifted uneasily, thinking about everything Draco had just told him.  He glanced around, wondering if the vampire had been nearby and heard any of it.

“What are you doing out here?” Harry asked, trying not to let any of his nervousness show.

“My sister suggested coming to see this place,” Lest said, glancing briefly at the Shrieking Shack as he started walking forward.  “Said it was relevant in understanding the culture of the students here.  I think she just enjoys the touristy things in life.”

 **::I don’t remember that…::** Qye said slowly, confused.

“I guess it kind of is the place to see around here,” Harry said, shifting on his feet.  His brows furrowed as Lest stopped right in front of him, still looking at him with that strange look in his eyes.  “Lest?”

“I didn’t realize you and Malfoy were on such terms,” Lest said, tilting his head as his jaw clenched slightly. 

Harry stiffened.  “Were you watching us?” he asked, flushing, frowning up at him.

“I had thought…I was under the impression from others that you two had rather contradictory personalities,” Lest continued.  His eyes searched Harry’s frowning face and their color seemed to deepen.

“With all due respect,” Harry said, voice stiff, “I don’t think it’s any of your business.  Excuse me.”  He tried to move past the vampire and gave a sharp look when Lest took a step in front of him.

“You deserve better,” Lest said, speaking almost as if to himself as his eyes continued to search Harry’s for something.  “You deserve so much.”

 **::What the hell?::** Qye muttered, confusion and alarm growing.  **::What the hell’s wrong with him?::**

 ** _::I have no clue::_** Harry said as he stared hard back at Lest.  **_::But I - ::_**

He froze as Lest stepped forward and kissed him.

It was completely unlike everything he had with Draco, burning where Draco’s had been warm, demanding where the other had been inviting.  He stood in shock as Lest wrapped his arms tightly around him and held him, desperate and confusing.  His eyes were wide and he could see that the vampire’s eyes had fallen shut, hiding all traces of that strange look.

There was silence from Qye.

He should be moving but even if Lest’s arms hadn’t been unyieldingly wrapped around him, he found himself unable to.  There was something in the kiss, something furious and possessive tied with something tender and longing.  It asked for something and his body buzzed with it despite himself and he didn’t understand it.

He felt his heart twist and it took a moment for him to realize the pain wasn’t coming from him.

His hands came up and with every bit of his strength, he shoved the vampire.

His green eyes saw Lest’s eyes open, dazed and dark, and he balled up a fist and hit him again.  He felt the arms unwrap up from him as their kiss broke, falling away from him more from surprise than any force from Harry.

They stood there, Harry trembling and breathing fast as Lest visibly struggled to control himself, his eyes swirling with a mixture of emotions. 

Lest swallowed and whispered, "Harry…”

 **::Lest::** Qye said and Harry had never heard him so broken.  **::Lest, no…you _promised_ …::**

Harry took a step away from him.

His dark eyes flickered before hardening with resolve and Harry flinched as Lest raised a hand to him, fingers flexing.

Something _pulled_ in his mind.

He and Qye both gasped in pain and he took another step back from the vampire, wincing as he raised a hand towards his head.  “What - ”  He shook his head and took another step back, blinking rapidly at Lest.  “What are you doing?”

Lest slowly dropped his hand, eyes widening slightly.

A blast of light hurtled at the vampire.

Harry blinked at the blur and found Lest standing away from him, all traces of surprise and strangeness gone, replaced with something wrathful and dangerous.

“Stay away from him,” Draco snarled, his wand in his hand.  He quickly strode towards them, face full of icy fury.

“Malfoy,” Lest hissed and that was all he said before he lunged at him.

Harry jerked in shock as Draco barely dodged the punch where his head had been, his feet moving swiftly to the side.  His wand turned and fired off a blast of ice at Lest’s side, which the vampire dodged as he leaned back.

A punch flew back at Draco and the Slytherin narrowly avoided it, his feet moving quickly to the other side as he sent back a blasting spell.  Lest stumbled as Draco dove forward, his wand slashing towards him.  It hit him in the shoulder, leaving a slight tear in the fabric as Lest danced back, baring his teeth again.

Lest whirled, his leg coming up and knocking into the blond’s leg, making him fall to one knee.  Draco shouted something and a shimmer of light appeared just in time to block Lest’s elbow before it crashed into his face.  The vampire flicked a hand.

Draco flew back and crashed on his back several feet away, coughing painfully.

Harry pulled out his wand, the fight moving too fast for him to track.

Lest snarled something, taking a step towards the other blond.  He stopped and hunched forward, gasping as he clutched the elbow he tried to hit Draco with.

“Sunlight shield, asshole,” Draco said hoarsely, as he unevenly climbed to his feet.  He raised his wand again, meeting Lest’s glare with his own sneer.  “Let’s see how - ”

A jet of green sparks streaked between them and both eyes snapped to Harry.

“Stop,” Harry said in a hard voice, wand steady between them as he glared at them both.

He watched as they straightened, Draco with his wand trained at the vampire, Lest rubbing his elbow with that still dangerous look on his face.

“I don’t know what the hell is going on,” Harry continued, heart beating rapidly as he slowly looked back and forth between them.  “Frankly, I don’t care.”

“You don’t care that he _assaulted_ you?” Draco snarled, eyes flashing at the vampire.  Lest took a step towards him and Harry fired off another jet of green sparks at them.

“Stop!” he snapped.  He tried not to look directly at Lest, mindful of his burning stare and the fact that Qye still had not said anything. 

“Just...” he struggled, trying to think of the right thing to say or do.  Now that they had stopped, he wanted nothing more than to leave them both but he couldn’t without the fear that they would tear each other apart.  He gritted his teeth and muttered, “Expelliarmus!”

He caught Draco’s wand, watching as his face turn disbelieving.

Lest’s eyes narrowed in consideration and he took a step towards Harry.

He stopped as Harry raised his wand at him, giving him the coldest look he could.

“Stay away from me,” he said steadily, meeting the vampire in the eye.  “I don’t care what that was about and I won’t even mention it so long as you stay away from me.”

“Harry,” Lest began and stopped again as red sparks emitted threateningly from Harry’s wand, his grasp tightening.

“I said I don’t care,” Harry said, his voice darkening as he slowly started to walk past them, still holding Draco’s wand with his other hand.  “Nothing gave you the right to do that.”  He saw Lest’s eyes darken.  “Try anything like that again and truce or not, leader of vampires or not, nothing will help you by the time I’m done with you.  Clear?”

Lest said nothing, just continued to watch him with that dark, strange look in his eyes.

Harry took that as best as he could and broke his gaze to look at Draco, who stood watching him with his own icy expression.

“I’ll give you this back,” he said, raising Draco’s wand, “once we’re at the main street.  Then I’m going back to Hogwarts.  Alone.”

“Don’t put yourself out on my account,” Draco responded coldly.

“Everyone’s enjoying themselves,” Harry said flatly, ignoring the flare of disappointment in his stomach.  “I’m not letting you two ruin tonight for them.”  He twitched his wand to the path leading back to the main street and watched as Draco stalked past him without another word.  He gave a final glance at Lest, who stood there silently.  As he turned away, he saw Lest’s hand at his side flex slightly.

Qye stayed silent, a dark and painful maelstrom in his mind.

He said nothing as he caught up with the other teenager, meeting Draco’s strides with his own.  The blond stalked the road, his body language all but screaming.

It was only once the lights of the main street started to appear that Draco spoke.

“Why did you do that?” Draco said flatly.

“I said - ” Harry began and stopped as Draco growled.

“I’m not talking about the fight!” Draco snapped, gray eyes flashing at him.  “You took my wand when I tried to help – ”

“That wasn’t you helping, that was you having a reason to go at him!” Harry snapped back, momentarily glancing over at the blond before looking back at the lights.

“I asked for a moment, Draco,” Harry said softly, staring straight ahead, his steps slowing.  Draco stopped and looked furiously at him.  “I just wanted a moment to think about what you said and what the next step would be.  I had no clue he was there or what he was going to do or why.  I’m going to assume you didn’t either so I don’t know why you didn’t give me that moment.”

“And if I hadn’t come back?” Draco said challenging, voice tight and angry.  “Would you have let that continue?”

Harry met Draco’s eyes and saw the other teenager falter at the disappointment in his gaze.

“There’s not much of a next step if you thought that,” Harry said quietly.

Draco visibly struggled, eyes flickering between anger and frustration.

Harry held out Draco’s wand to him, looking away as he took it back.

“I’m going back to Hogwarts as I said,” Harry said, studying the lights and hoping Ron and Hermione wouldn’t ask any questions later.  “I’m asking you, again, to give me some space.  And if you can’t, then I think we know how this is going to go.”

Draco said nothing as he walked away.

In his head, he heard the soft sounds of someone hurting.

 ** _::Qye::_** Harry tried, his hands gripping his arms tight as he listened to the broken breaths in between the heavy silence of the other boy.  **_::Qye, talk to me, please.::_**

There was silence for a long while and then he heard a ragged sob.  It was choked back but came softly again.

He walked as fast as he could back to Hogwarts, dodging the rest of the students in the shadows, thankful no one could see his shaking body.

\------

He went under the covers as soon as he made sure the curtains around his bed were firmly closed. 

 ** _::Qye::_** he said softly.  **_::Qye, please.   Talk to me.::_**

There were no more of those soft sounds, the held back murmurs of ache.  The other boy had said nothing the entire way back and Harry hadn’t pushed, mind troubled with the events of tonight.  The cautious beginning, the information, the unexpected kisses and fights.

He closed his eyes and curled up, pressing his face into his pillow.

He flinched as his lips touched the fabric and he angrily scrubbed his hand across them.

 **::Was it good?::**  
  
Harry started as Qye’s voice came clear at him, voice flat and subdued.  
  
**_::Are you okay?::_** he asked, worried and reaching for that place in his head where Qye resided, feeling his hurt and turmoil.  He felt the flash of rage in the midst of it and stilled.

 **::Was it good?::** Qye repeated, voice growing colder, darker.

 ** _::Qye, I don’t - ::_** Harry began, confused.

 **::He said he would never do that with anyone else** :: Qye interrupted, the anger in his voice breaking, turning jagged.  **::He swore that once a vampire took a mate, that would be the only one, that there would never be anyone else for them.  He _promised_ me.::**

Harry froze.

Qye continued, voice twisting between pain and anger, **::If he lied about that, what else has he been lying about?  Maybe Draco was right, maybe all those things he said Lest did, maybe he did do it, maybe he had been lying to me all along.::**

 ** _:Qye::_** Harry said.  The other boy fell silent.  Harry took a deep breath and asked carefully, **_::Qye…are you his mate?::_**

A ragged breath was all his answer.

Harry opened his eyes, staring blankly at the red blanket.

 ** _::Qye…::_** Harry said uncertainly.

 **::I grew up with him::** Qye whispered.  **::I had no one and he stayed with me.  He never lied to me from the beginning, he told me that his motives were selfish.  That he just wanted to talk with someone.  But I knew him for five years.  He wasn’t lying then.::**

Harry lay in bed, powerless in the storm of emotions Qye gave off.

 **::Why would he do that with you?!::** Qye suddenly yelled, making Harry squeeze his eyes shut and cover his ears uselessly.  **::He promised me!  He said he’d never leave me!::**

 ** _::Qye!::_** Harry said, raising his voice.  He faltered when Qye gasped out a cry.

 **::Harry::** Qye said brokenly, half a sob.  **::Harry, I don’t want to believe he lied to me.  I can’t.::**

 ** _::I don’t know what to tell you::_** Harry said helplessly.  **_::I don’t know why he did what he did.  Maybe…::_**   He struggled to find an answer, something other than the fact that the vampire was in fact a liar and a bastard to do this to someone he cared about.

 **::Maybe I confused him::** Qye said uncertainly.  **::When…when I took over.  Maybe he thought…but he never said anything.  He’s never said my name, Harry.::**

There was so much fear in Qye’s voice at that.

 ** _::I don’t know, Qye::_** Harry said gently.  **_::I don’t know how long you’ve been gone, remember - ::_**

**::It’s been five years.::**

Harry stopped.  

 **::It’s been five years and it’s all blurry::** Qye said dully.

 ** _::Qye::_** Harry said, stunned as he thought about the dust on Qye’s things.  **_::Qye, that’s not…::_  
  
::Lest is five years older than me:: ** Qye said quietly.  **::When he said that he was only twenty…it’s been five years.::**

Harry had a flashback to Draco telling him he had gone to the Opacre heir’s bonding when he was ten.  A sickening feeling began to grow in his stomach.

 ** _::Qye…::_** he whispered.  **_::Qye, what does that - ::_**

Qye took in a deep shuddering breath.  **::I think a vampire did this.::**

Harry furrowed his brows, still confused and still with that uneasy feeling.  _: **:What?  How does that make sense?  You came after that subconscious potion, remember?::**_ He swallowed.

 **::I came after you got my _things_ , Harry:: **Qye said.  **::My journal, those books, the necklace.  And hearing what Draco said tonight…I think something happened after the bonding.  Maybe one of the vampires found me and locked me away and by having my things, you got connected.  Vampires and wizards haven’t mixed in who knows how long, who knows how magic reacts to their abilities?  And Myn and Lest have never mentioned me and they’re so different from how they used to be - ::**

 ** _::Shouldn’t we talk to them, then?::_** Harry frowned.  He had no desire to get anywhere near the male vampire again but if it would help… _: **:Maybe - ::**_

**_::No!::_ **

Harry stopped, taken aback by the snarl.  He felt a swarm of betrayal and fear before Qye calmed down.

 **::Like I said, they’re not acting like they used to::** Qye continued quietly, more restrained.  **::And the only reason I can come up with for why, why Lest did what he did, is because they don’t remember either.::**  
  
Harry said nothing but his doubt must’ve been clear to Qye because he sighed.

 **::Something happened and I want to know what.::** Qye said, voice firming. **::I think...I _know_ vampires are involved.  If we can figure out what happened, we can fix it.::**

Harry rolled onto his back and scrubbed his face, digging the palms of his hands into his eyes.  **_::Qye, I don’t know.  This seems…::_**   He took a deep breath and ignored the sick, niggling feeling in his chest.  **_::Maybe we should just tell someone::_** he said, dropping his hands and opening his eyes.  **_::I said April and - ::_**

 **::Please, Harry::** Qye begged.  **::Just…let’s give the library one more try.  Look at the books specifically on vampires.::**

 ** _::If Draco’s telling the truth and the wizarding world and vampires have been separate, what makes you think there’s anything useful in there?::_** Harry asked wearily.

Qye struggled for a moment.  Then he said triumphantly, **::My journal, the books!  They have things on vampires, they can guide us!::**

 ** _::I can’t open those books, remember?::_** Harry pointed out to the other boy.

 **::Then my journal!::** Qye said desperately.  **::It has some of my notes, I know it does.  My memory might be blurry but there should be something there.::**

Harry hesitated.

Qye said quietly, **::Please, Harry.::**

Harry closed his eyes and sighed.

 ** _::Okay, Qye.  One last try::_** Harry said resignedly.  **_::Let’s see what we find out.::_**

\----

“Lest?” Marylin called out hesitantly, carefully closing the door to her rooms behind her.

The room was dark and the hour was a little past one.  She had stayed at the Three Broomsticks long enough to make sure every student made it back to Hogwarts and helped Madam Rosmerta clean up.  The owner had been more than happy with the business the dance had brought and had assured Marylin of her support on the Hogsmeade council.  By the time every chair was put up and every glass put away, Marylin was longingly thinking of her warm bed.  Of course that was the time she noticed Lest hadn’t been waiting around for her.

“Lest?” she called out again, gingerly making her way to the nearest lamp.  As she turned it on, she nearly jumped as she saw her brother sprawled in one of the armchairs near a window, his legs crossed carelessly at the ankle while his hands were folded across his stomach.

A shiver ran down her spine and she wrapped her arms around herself as she slowly walked over to him.

“What in Hélène’s name are you doing sitting in the dark?” she muttered as she stood next to him, peering at him in the dim light.  “Thank you for waiting for me by the way, I didn’t need your help cleaning up at all, it’s not like - ”  

She stopped as he slowly turned his head to look at her from where he had been looking out the window.

She swallowed at the shadowed look in his eyes.

“I thought I could stand a lot of things, Myn,” Lest said, his voice almost conversational despite that terrifying look in his eyes.  “The things that I couldn’t stop, the things I had to do because if I didn’t, the results would be so much worse.  You felt that way too, didn’t you?”  He glanced back out at the window and was silent for a moment.  “I think the war did a lot of that to people.  And I always thought, well, this will help.  Later.  To endure things.”

“Lest?” she said uncertainly, confused.  “I don’t understand…”

“I just realized something tonight,” he said, his voice low.  “There are just some things I can’t stand.  I won’t endure it.  Not even for him.”

“Lest?” she asked again, carefully reaching a hand out to him.  She jerked as he unfolded himself suddenly from the chair and stood up, tall and strong and so very, very dangerous.

Her heart ached for him.

Lest whispered as he stared darkly out the window, seemingly more to himself than to her, "I'd rather have him hate me than love him."

She froze for a second.  “Lest?” she breathed, heart skipping beats.  He glanced at her, still with that look in his eyes before he swept past her to the room he occupied.  He paused at the doorway, his hand gripping the frame.

“Harry looked nice today, Myn,” he finally said.  And then he closed the door behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: "Consequences” – Harry and Qye, finally, find out.


	27. Consequences

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pre AN: Bloody hell, Lest...that's all I got to say. But then again, I’ve been saying that for years. --; Harry and Qye, finally, find out the truth (at least, some of it).
> 
> [*RUNS THE HELL AWAY*]

In the morning, Hermione was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs. 

Most of the common room was empty except for a couple of first years drooping at one of the tables, most likely trying to get a head start for the impending exams.  The rest of Gryffindor was undoubtedly either sleeping off the night before or out for a late breakfast.

Harry stopped at the bottom of the stairs, slowly putting his hands inside the pockets of his robes as Hermione regarded him from her spot at the table.  There was a Transfiguration textbook open in front of her but no notes, no study chart, no quills or parchment.

“Did you have a good night?” she asked placidly.

Harry sat down with her.  “It was something.”

Her eyes sharpened and he fought back his instinctive reaction to force a smile, knowing it wouldn’t fool her.

“Ron and I didn’t see you after we left the table,” Hermione said carefully. 

“Went for a walk,” Harry shrugged.  He glanced around.  “Where is Ron, anyway?”

Hermione scowled briefly.  “He took off for breakfast the moment I started asking him about what deal he made.”

Harry gave her a sidelong look.  “Please tell me you didn’t spend the entire time last night asking him about that?” he asked worriedly, a tug of guilt in him at the thought that he might’ve ruined his best friends’ chance at beginning their relationship.

“Much as we love you, Harry, you are not actually the center of our universe,” Hermione answered dryly.  Harry relaxed and she resumed her study of him.  “So, last night.”

“I’d actually rather not talk about it,” Harry said and sighed as he watched her eyes narrow.  “Hermione, it’s just rather personal.  Or do you want me asking about you and Ron?” he said as he raised his eyebrows.

A small flush crept up Hermione’s cheek and she lifted her chin slightly.  “Do you want to know?”

Harry blanched.  “Merlin, please, no.”

“Then - ”

“Draco and I kissed,” Harry blurted out.  Her eyes went wide and he dropped his gaze to the table, studying the Transfiguration book in front of her.  It looked to be a chapter on changing liquids, which he doubted would be on the O.W.L.s but he wouldn’t put it past Hermione to cover all her bases.  “We kissed and I would really rather not talk about it.”

There was silence for a long while and Harry braced himself for the barrage of questions.

Instead, Hermione closed her book and stood up, picking it up.  “We’d better get going to breakfast before the rest of them wake up,” she said, tucking in her chair as Harry stared at her.  “Or would you rather they all finally get a chance to grill you like they didn’t last night?”

Harry continued to stare at her.  “You…aren’t going to press?”

She took in a deep breath and walked over to him, gently putting her hand on his shoulder.  “I’ve asked all I can, Harry.  This is the most you’ve given me since the year started and…” She hesitated and squeezed his shoulder before letting go.  “I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to keep asking but you told us you would tell us when you were ready.  I have to believe that this is your way of starting to.”

Harry felt a pang of guilt as he looked at her, open and hopeful.

He took a deep breath and stood up.

Hermione let out a muffled, surprised sound as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

“Thank you,” he mumbled.

She hugged him back before gently distangling, her eyes bright as she wound one of her arms with his.

“Let’s see what Ron’s saved for us, shall we?” she smiled at him.

Qye stayed silent as they exited from the portrait, made no commentary as Hermione and Harry lightly discussed whether or not Transifiguring liquids would be on the O.W.L.s and whether or not doing so would affect their resulting potions.  Harry sent a quiet thought of support, the same he had as soon as woke up and felt Qye’s still turbulent emotions.

Harry stopped at the entrance of the Great Hall as soon as he saw Lest sitting next to his sister.

“Harry?” Hermione asked curiously, turning around to look at him.

He gave her a rueful smile.  “Just realized people outside of Gryffindor are bound to ask questions today after last night and I doubt they’ll be as considerate to back off.  Think I’m just going to hide out until the worst of the gossip dies down.”

Hermione gave him a worried look.  “Harry, you can’t just run from it and let it stop you from eating - ”

“I’m just missing today’s breakfast, Hermione,” he broke in, giving her a look.  “Just…I’ll catch up with you and Ron later, alright?”

She hesitated before she finally bit her lip and reluctantly nodded.  “Alright.  Just this once,” she warned, giving him a narrowed look.

Harry nodded and backed off, already hearing the whispers starting.  “Try and make sure Ron doesn’t make any more deals, yeah?” he grinned at her.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head.  “I’ll probably cast a few more counters after we finish eating,” she grumbled.  “Maybe dunk him in the Black Lake if he doesn’t come clean.”  She headed over to the Gryffindor table, still muttering under her breath about jinxes and personality switches.  Harry merely smiled faintly as he left the Great Hall, ducking past a pair of curious Ravenclaws.

His smile faded quickly.

Qye waited until Harry was a couple corridors away before speaking quietly.  **::We need to get to the library.::**

Harry took a deep breath.  **_::Yeah.::_**

\----

The first couple of weeks gave them nothing.

Every book he checked about vampires was full of things the DADA class had already proven to be false.  Books like ‘ _Vampyre: Fact or Fable?_ ’ and ‘ _The Thirst of the Undead: Why Vampires Need to Feed’_ read more like fantasy coated in speculation in order to sell.

Asking Madam Pince for assistance was out of the question as well.  Even if he didn’t feel like he had the curious eyes of every Hogwarts student in the library on him – which was getting busier and busier as exams approached – he had no clue what he was looking for.

It didn’t help when Draco showed up.

Turning around a stack of books, Harry found him there the Wednesday after the dance.

Draco looked up from reading a book in the section on Charms, and Harry froze as he remembered how they left things.

They stared at each other and then Draco let out a long breath and looked back down at his book, jaw clenched.

Harry turned around and left, unsure if he was thankful or not that the blond didn’t say anything.

 **::You asked for space, remember?::** Qye reminded him softly as Harry hid in an alcove a few corridors from the library, trying to bring his heartbeat down.

 ** _::Don’t::_** Harry said shortly, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

Qye said nothing else and never said anything when Draco and Harry worked in silence during their classwork, sharing their information and nothing else.  The group work finally started to finish off as the teachers worked on preparing them for the individual exams coming up.

\----

 ** _::You couldn’t have been clearer?::_** Harry asked as he spent another fruitless night looking through Qye’s journal, frustrated with the lack of details.

 **::I might’ve been a little cryptic::** Qye admitted.  He continued, a little defensively, **::Hey, I wasn’t exactly very trusting, I didn’t want it to backfire if it fell in the wrong hands.::**

 ** _::I hardly think they would have thought you were telling the truth if you talked about vampires::_** Harry sighed as he closed the journal. **_::Most likely they would have thought you were writing stories.::_**

 **::I’ll make sure to have a bibliography the next time I write my thoughts down then, shall I?::** Qye snapped.  Harry ground his teeth as he roughly put away the journal and fell back down on his bed.  Qye sighed and continued in a contrite tone of voice, **::Sorry, it’s just…you know…::**

 ** _::I want to figure this out as much as you, Qye::_** Harry responded gently.  **_::But how much longer are we going to drag this out?  We don’t even know - ::_**

 **::We just need to find something that’s reliable::** Qye said persistently.  **::And we’re just getting started, something will turn up.  I refuse to believe there isn’t a book that can help us in a library that size.::**

\----

The following weeks were harder, the studying for O.W.L.s finally coming to the forefront.  The only good thing about it was that the whispering gossip slowed down, the other students dragged into their own studying and no longer fueled by Draco and Harry spending visible time alone together.

Most Gryffindors were up past midnight now, even on the weekends, as they all struggled to remember their information and practice their spells.  Fred and George were even spotted taking notes, although it wasn’t clear if it was for the exams or future pranks.

Ron and Hermione stayed on through the Easter holidays and Harry struggled to find time to look more into vampires.  Even just reading Qye’s journal was difficult as most nights he was falling asleep the minute he got into bed.

In a blink of an eye, April was gone, a month past the time Harry said they would ask for help in getting Qye out of his head.  Instead of going to Dumbledore as he said he would, he looked for information on vampires, ducking into the Restricted Section with his Invisibility Cloak in the hopes of at least a trail.

There he found several shelves on vampires but without knowing what exactly would be true or not, he left them be. 

 **::If we can find something in my journal, something none of the others have, we’ll have a better chance at figuring out which will help us::** Qye muttered as Harry slipped back to Gryffindor Tower.

 ** _::Sure::_** Harry sighed as he put away his cloak.  **_::We’ll see.::_**

\---- 

Harry saw Lest once up close, leaving DADA in the afternoon.

He was waiting in the corridor, most likely for Professor Opacre, leaning against the wall with a distant look in his eyes.  As soon as most of the other students cleared the corridor, the vampire glanced over at the doorway and met his green eyes.

Harry gave him the coldest look he could, aware of Ron and Hermione trailing behind him.

Lest dropped his eyes and said nothing as Harry walked past him, making sure his friends were between him and the vampire.

Qye was a heavy ache in his mind.

\----

One night, after the rest of his dorm mates passed out before him, Harry took the opportunity to flip haphazardly through the pages of Qye’s journal.

He paused as he came to what looked like the final page and read it.

_‘It’s still amazing how much things change in a short span of time.  In a week, I’m another year older and my life is different than before.  Not to say that the same isn’t true about the day before.  I will no longer be the same person I was yesterday but I am so much more vastly different than the person I was last week, when I was a year younger.  What sort of person will I be in another year?’_

**_::Did you ever have thoughts that weren’t vastly philosophical?::_** Harry asked curiously as he flipped a few pages more to see if there were any more notes.

 **::If I’m right, that was around my birthday::** Qye replied thoughtfully.  **::I just…always tended to think a lot around that time.  Wasn’t much else to do but think.::**   He snorted, a touch bitterly.  **::Well, moreso before I met Lest.  Then I had to think about him too during our birthdays.::**

Harry paused in flipping pages.

**_::Our?::_ **

**::Lest and I share a birthday::** Qye mumbled, mind obviously somewhere else. 

Harry frowned.  **_::That’s oddly coincidental.::  
_**

Qye shrugged.  **::Just was.  It was nice.::** His voice went very quiet and Harry sighed when he felt that familiar twinge of melancholy.

 ** _::When is your birthday anyway?::_** he asked, hoping to distract the other boy from his downward spiral.

Qye paused and then sighed in frustration. **::Yet another blur.::**

He went silent again and Harry knew he wouldn’t be getting anything more from the other boy tonight.

Harry had no interest in asking Lest.

\----

Draco said nothing to him as they sat in their classes, Snape watching them both sharply in every Potions class as neither spoke.

Harry resisted every urge to open a conversation, ask him for help about vampires, tell him that he missed their times at the library tables.  He sometimes found himself absently touching his lips as he studied his notes and hastily put it down while Ron and Hermione pretended not to notice.  Well, Hermione pretended.  Ron just got a very flat look on his face and wrote his notes harder.

Qye hardly spoke about anything except to urge him to take another look at the library, swearing that they could fix this.

Lest glanced at him once from the Head Table and looked away when Harry pointedly turned to Ron and Hermione.

One late night, when they were alone in the Gryffindor Common Room, Harry put down his quill and muttered about Cedric and Voldemort and the Dursleys.  They listened and when he was done, Hermione packed away their study materials as Ron jostled him to one of the couches.  They sat in front of the fireplace, exhausted but relaxed and spoke about the things they would do that summer at the Burrow.

Harry woke up aching the next morning, partly from having fallen asleep next to a snoring Ron and dozing Hermione and partly from Qye’s longing and loneliness.

\----

It was a Friday night as Harry flipped through one of the supplemental texts Professor Opacre had advised when Qye suddenly said **::Stop.::**

Harry paused, blinking exhaustedly down at the words that blurred together.  He rubbed his eyes and squinted down at the page.

 **::That word…::** Qye muttered.

He slowly started from the top of the page, a section entitled ‘Effects from Non-Magical Sources’.

_‘Further proof that the effects of magic are widely distributed across species exists in the analogous effects that non-magical and/or non-human beings have on humans.  Examples include the following: lycanthropy, the cry of a Fwooper inciting insanity, the meals of lethifolds,  the Carus of a vampire, the - ’_

**::Carus::** Qye repeated.  **::That’s…it’s something.  That’s it::.**

 ** _::What is that?::_** Harry asked, scanning the rest of the section to see if there was any more information.  It looked like that was the only place the term was mentioned however.

 **::Find that word and that’s our key to our reliable source::** Qye said, voice preoccupied, trying to remember something.

Harry furrowed his brow.  **_::How do you know?  This wasn’t in your journal.::_**

 **::It’s ringing a bell::** Qye said distractedly.  **::And I don’t remember seeing it anywhere else.  Just…go back to the Restricted Section.  I’m telling you, this is it.::**

 ** _::Qye…::_** Harry said uncertainly.

 **::Trust me::** Qye pleaded and Harry closed his eyes at how close to begging the other boy sounded.  **::I know it, this is going to show us the way to what happened and how to fix all this and get me out.::**

Harry took a deep breath and opened his eyes, putting the book aside as he checked if the coast was clear to grab his Invisibility Cloak.  **_::Okay.  Let’s see if this works.::_**

\----

The first book had nothing in it.

The fifth made mentions of it but no more than the supplemental text.  Harry put it aside as a possible source for later if they found nothing else.

The twelfth book had it.

 **::Told you::** Qye muttered as Harry stopped on the page with the words ‘Carus Noctivagus’ in bold.  **::I told you this - ::**

 ** _::Would you be patient?::_** Harry sighed exasperatedly as he examined the book.  The author was Kassidy Takian and it looked barely used.  The pages were still newly stiff as he turned them back and forth before settling back on the page that had the word.   ** _::Just because it has the word doesn’t mean this book miraculously has the answers.::_**

Qye stayed quiet but anxious as Harry read.

_‘ **Carus Noctivagus**_

_The term used for the human mated to a vampire.  Although vampires can marry other vampires, the advantages gained to a family are not the same as those with a Carus.  Advantages include connections to the daytime world or bearing of offspring, as fertility rates are lower in vampires.  Connections between both the daytime world and vampiric society increase survival of a family and as such, a Carus in a family often increases reputation._

_The loosest translation of Carus Noctivagus is ‘beloved of the night’, indicative of the relationship between vampire and human.  Bondings occur between human and vampire through the exchange of blood, typically during a Blood Commitment overseen by the Head of the vampire’s family.  While a bonding imparts abilities upon the human (see: benefits), the effects are often more evident in the vampire.  The vampire takes the well-being of their Carus as a priority, physically, mentally and emotionally.  Dangers to their Carus promptly send the vampire into a protective response, irrelevant of where the source of danger comes from.’_

**_::I don’t see how any of this helps::_** Harry sighed as he scanned the rest of the section.  Underneath the section entitled ‘Benefits’, there were vague bulletpoints.  Increased strength and speed, blood protection, amplified senses…

Harry paused as soon as he read telepathy and telekinesis.

 ** _::Um…Qye?::_** he said as he stared down at the short but powerful words.

 **::I…don’t remember this::** Qye said slowly.

 ** _::How can you not remember getting telepathy and telekinesis?::_** Harry asked incredulously.

 **::These things weren’t really the focus when we got bonded::** Qye said defensively.  **::It was kind of…look, there were other things - ::**

 ** _::You were_** **bonding _a_ vampire _::_** Harry said, mystified. **_::How can you not want to know about this?::_** A sudden thought came to him and he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully.  **_::If you have telepathy, do you think maybe that had a factor in this?::_**

 **::Considering I didn’t even know I had it::** Qye muttered, **::I highly doubt it.::**

Harry shook his head and turned the page, skipping over the section entitled ‘Substitute Nutrients in Place of Plasma’.

 **::Just continue::** sighed Qye as Harry grimaced at a drawing of a vampire’s digestive system.  **::Maybe there’s – wait, stop::** Qye demanded quickly.

Harry stopped and saw the chapter entitled ‘Products of Telepathy.’  There were several subsections and he shifted uncomfortably as he read ‘Persuasion’ and ‘Manipulations’.

 **::I think this is it::** Qye said slowly.

 ** _::What makes you think so?::_** Harry said as he browsed the chapter. 

 **::I’ve seen Lest do it before::** Qye said quietly.  **::And if a vampire’s done something, this would be it.  This would be the place where – Harry, what’s wrong?::**

Harry had stilled and he could feel the concern flowing from the other boy.  But all he could see was that one word under the subsection ‘Memories’.

_‘One of the rarer telepathic gifts vampires possess involve the alteration of memories.  As an invasive maneuver, this particular ability is heavily monitored in vampires who have the potential to do so and must present extensive documentation as to its use (i.e., concealment of vampiric society, personal safety, protection of a Carus, etc.)._

_The technique requires the use of telepathy to select and separate the target memories, which are then carefully placed in the subconscious.  It was presumed that only the vampire who moved the memories would be able to re-integrate them, however several cases have been documented where other strong influences on the subconscious can create a breach (i.e., trauma, electrical stimuli, etc.).  Such cases have typically resulted in instability and other side effects in the mind of the altered individual.’_

He felt Qye behind his eyes and in the pit of his stomach that uneasy feeling he’d been ignoring started to grow heavier as he suddenly remembered the potion that started it all.

He remembered the purpose to the potion, to examine his subconscious, and that cracking feeling before he blacked out.  He remembered the start of the term feast where he knew facts about vampires that not even Hermione knew, the tingling sensation in his mind during that first DADA class where questions were asked and he thought he knew something.

He remembered before Lest’s kiss how the vampire had said something behind him, the word…

 ** _::Qye::_** he whispered.  **_::Oh god, Qye.::_**

**::Harry?::**

Nausea swelled in him and he swallowed back as he stared down at the text.  His finger moved and he dully pointed to the section he just read.

The other voice was silent.

And then he felt a similar sickness and shock, distress, the imaginary shaking of another person who wasn’t actually…

**::Oh no.::**

Harry numbly went through the motions as he returned the books to their original place.  Through a daze he left the library, covered in the Invisibility Cloak, feet catching and stumbling before he righted himself and kept walking. 

He felt a shakiness from that other part of his mind and tried to reconcile it with the dark pit in his stomach, spreading through his body, trying to push through the numbness.  His green eyes blinked slowly as he realized he walked into a nearby bathroom, silent and empty and cold from the night.

He dragged off his Invisibility Cloak and carelessly dropped it on the floor as he fumbled to the nearest sink.

Harry stared at his reflection, his face pale and green eyes wide.

He felt the presence behind his eyes and knew Qye was watching back.

Softly, he said, “You’re me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: "Truth Revealed” – Now what?


	28. Truth Revealed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry posted this a little late! Holidays this weekend took up more time than expected. I hope everyone had a pleasant weekend!

The sink felt cold under his fingers.

All that time he spent trying to find reasons as to why the voice of a ten year old boy suddenly appeared in his head, ignoring all the signs that indicated he lost his mind, the blurry memories that so conveniently hid the truth.

Harry took a step back from the sink, staring down at his shaking hands.

All those times Qye had easily slipped into control of his body.

There was a sickness in his stomach, crawling up his chest and creeping in his throat, trying to burst out and scream.

Everything that was Qye had been him, bundled up and stored in his subconscious, which meant…

Which meant that five years of his life had been a lie. He was a lie.

He whirled around and collapsed onto his knees just in time to empty the contents of his stomach in the nearest stall.

 **::Harry!::** Qye said, startled and worried, broken free from shock.

That voice whispering worriedly at him, fretting concern, the voice he had been talking to and bickering with all these months, thinking it was someone else, thinking he could help –

Harry retched again, the sound echoing throughout the bathroom.

He was Qye.

Gasping, he heaved once more but nothing more came out, a few tears sliding down from his squeezed shut eyes.

 **::Harry…::** Qye whispered uncertainly as he shivered on the cold tile floor.

 ** _::Stop::_** he rasped back, clutching his hair and grimacing.  **_::Stop, you’re -::_**

Why was he even answering?  Why was he keeping up this charade that the voice was anyone other than himself?

 **::Harry::** Qye said hoarsely.  **::Harry, listen to me.::**

Unstable, the book had said.  Side effects.  And what was it Qye – he – had said earlier? Vampires and wizards had never mixed, who knew what the results would be.

He was Qye.

Harry slowly sat back against the stall.

There were so many implications in this, thoughts clawing in the back of his head with the rest of his locked away memories, things he didn’t want to think about.

Five years of memories locked away, a whole other part of his personality that he had never known before.  Five years of experiences and thoughts, decisions that he never knew about.

Five years with people he didn’t know.

Vampires.  Vampires, as close to him as the Weasleys, and he never knew a single thing.

His hand trembled as he pushed it into his hair, flashes of Professor Opacre – Myn – and her brother – Lest – flickering in his mind and the thought about what all this meant.

 **::Are you okay?::** Qye whispered.

His fingers dug into his scalp.  **_::You’re asking yourself that.::_**

There was silence.

His mind buzzed and he wanted so badly -

**::It’s not true.:**

The voice was soft and wavering and desperate.

Harry swallowed.

A heartbeat passed.

**::I don’t want this.  I didn’t want to be one.::**

He stilled.

Slowly, he dropped his hand.

 ** _::You knew::_** Harry breathed.

 **::It was just a thought::** Qye whispered.  **::They were just thoughts.  I didn’t want to think about it.::**

The sickness rolled Harry’s stomach again and he swallowed heavily, leaning forward and breathing fast and deep.

 ** _::You knew::_** he gasped.  Then, he laughed, a cracking horrible sound.  **_::_ I _knew.::_**

The sickness, the uneasy feelings.  The stab of _something_ when Qye had said it had been five years.

How could he have been so stupid for so long?

Harry squeezed his eyes shut and clutched his head again.

 **::I had hoped I was wrong::** Qye said dully.  **::Little things pointed to it but…::** Harry could feel the struggle and he shuddered because it was so much worse now, knowing that feeling was just a small part of him locked away and –

Unstable, the book had said.

Harry lurched to his feet and stumbled out of the stall, blindly heading to where he had dropped his cloak.

 **::What are you doing?::** Qye said, startled.

He ignored him – Qye – the voice – himself – and shakily picked the cloak up.

 _‘Dumbledore,’_ he thought hazily.  _‘I’ll tell him and he’ll know what to do.  He’ll - ’_

His hands faltered in putting the cloak on.

Dumbledore would…what?  Fix him?  Fix his memories?  Fix what the vampire had stolen, hidden from him?

Make him Qye?

The horror behind his shock sprung forward and his fumbling hands dropped his cloak.

That was it, wasn’t it?  That was the sickness that crawled through every inch of his skin.

 **::Harry?::** Qye asked worriedly, sharply.

Harry took in a deep gulping breath, his chest and throat feeling as though someone was squeezing every breath from it.

He was a lie. 

Five years of his life were completely false, the memories that he remembered and made decisions on were all fabricated and unreal and Qye…Qye was the real part of him.  The boy who valued more time reading in the library than out on the Quidditch Pitch, the boy who made fun of Ron and Seamus and the people he called friends, the boy who had a harsh view of people, trusted not a single person but made friends with vampires.

Qye, who was the Carus of Lest Opacre.

 **::Harry, talk to me::** Qye urged.  **::What – ::**

**_::Shut up!::_ **

He felt that part of him reel back and he bit back a sob.

The Harry Potter that came to Hogwarts, befriended a man who others pulled back from because of his appearance, made the choice to be a Gryffindor, cherished the friendships of Ron and Hermione and the people in his House, took up his courage and went on a date with…

He was a lie. 

The truth was out there now and there was no reason for lies anymore.

 _‘Dumbledore,’_ he thought dully, staring down at the cloak.  _‘I have to tell Dumbledore.’_

**::Why the fuck do you have to tell him?::**

He ignored the harsh voice in his head as he picked up the cloak again.

**::Harry, stop and listen to me.::**

_‘Dumbledore,’_ he thought.  _‘I have to tell him.’_

**::Harry, wait.::**

_‘Professor Opacre,’_ he thought distantly as he swung the cloak around his shoulders and slowly made his way to the door.  _‘She should know too.’_

**::Harry!::**

_‘I have to tell them.’_

**::Harry!::**

_‘They have to know the truth.’_

**::Damn it!::**

His eyes widened as his body froze.

He could see his hand reaching for the door knob, felt the chill of the bathroom but for all his want he could not move a step forward, could not lift his hand any further.

 **::Listen to me!::** Qye snarled, straining to hold him.

Harry snapped.

 ** _::Let go of me!::_** he screamed and willed himself to grab the handle.  He felt Qye’s shock for a brief moment, the control over his body faltering as his hand latched on before Qye snapped back and his body froze again.  **_::Let go!::_**

 **::Harry, stop and listen to me!::** Qye said desperately.

 ** _::Let go!::_** Harry yelled again, struggling, desperate to move.

 **::Don’t do this!::** Qye yelled back.  **::Stop and let us - ::**

 ** _::There is no ‘us’!::_** Harry shouted, eyes wide and blurring as he tried to claw himself back into control.  **_::I’m you, that’s all there is!  That’s all there’s ever been!  We found our damn answer and it’s what we thought all along and were just too stupid and blind and stubborn to admit it but it’s there!  I’m you, that’s all I’ve ever been, just…just a fucking placeholder waiting for you!::_**

**::Do you want to be with Lest?::**

Harry froze.

 **::Do you?::** Qye said, voice choking.  **::Do you want to be bonded to him for the rest of your life, living with vampires?  Do you want another choice in how you live your life taken from you?  Because I fucking don’t.::**

He felt the tears streaming down his face as he stared down at his hand, white knuckled around the door handle.

 ** _::I’m you::_** he whispered.  **_::Everything I thought was real - ::_**

 **:: - was real::** Qye said hoarsely.  **::None of this invalidates what you’ve gone through or who you are.  You’re still you, Harry.::**

 ** _::Except I’m also you::_** he replied dully, the fight slowly leaving him.  **_::I’m…we’re not two people.  I’m you.::_**

 **:: _I_ am me::** Qye said fiercely.  **::My memories, my thoughts, my decisions, those are _mine_ , Harry.  Some fucking asshole might have locked me away but _I_ am _me_ and no one decides who I am but me.::**

A broken laugh left his lips and he felt himself crumpling to the floor, unresisted by Qye still carefully holding onto his hand.

 ** _::You’re, what?::_** he said humorlessly, staring mindlessly at the door.  **_::A voice in the back of your own head?  Sometimes controlling a body that’s yours?  That’s what you are, that’s what you want to be?::_**

**::Harry - ::**

**_::Let me go::_** Harry said tiredly.  **_::Please, let me just do this one thing before…::_**  
  
**::Before what?::** Qye said quietly.

Harry didn’t say anything.  Qye probably already knew.

Since he was Qye, what did that mean for him, the part that was just not real at all?  What would happen to him when they – he – the memories were fixed?  How would two vastly different personalities and memories and lives fix back together?

Who was he going to be?

 **::I don’t want to be you::** Qye said softly.  **::And I know you don’t want to be me.::**

 ** _::Want has nothing to do with it::_** Harry said, closing his eyes.  **_::This is the answer we set out to look for and we’ve found it.  Let me go so we…you…can get fixed.::_**

**::What do you think needs fixing?::**

His free hand punched the door and Harry opened his eyes to stare at his bleeding knuckles.

 ** _::Stop this, Qye::_** he said.  **_::Stop being so damn stubborn and let me go get help and - ::_  
  
::And what?:: ** Qye challenged.  **::What is Dumbledore going to do?::**

**_::Then let me get Professor Opacre - ::_ **

**::Not until you understand!::**

**_::Understand what?::_** Harry said disbelieving.  **_::We’re the same damn person, what more - ::_**  
  
**::We are not!::** Qye snapped.  **::We might have been one person in the beginning but we are two obviously different people right now and I am not losing you, Harry!::**

Harry’s eyes widened.

 ** _::I’m fucking crazy::_** he whispered even as his heart twisted at the fear in Qye’s voice.

 **::No more than usual.::**   His voice softened and Harry shivered as he felt some gentle brush against his mind.  **::Harry, listen, please.  I can’t…I don’t want to lose you.  And if we were to…to merge, I don’t know what’ll happen.  I don’t know if it’ll be me or you or someone completely different and I know that’s scaring you because it’s scaring me too.::**  
  
Harry said nothing.  
  
**::Whatever we were in the beginning, that’s not either of us now.  I’m not some Gryffindor wizard and you’re not some bookworm who hangs about with vampires.  Whatever bloody vampire did this and…and locked me away, it made two separate people.::**

 ** _::No::_** Harry said quietly.  **_::No, we can blame the potion on this.  If the block had just been removed…::_**  He shivered because how would things have turned out then?

 **::Does it matter?::** Qye asked.

 ** _::Yes!::_** Harry said in frustration.  **_::Yes, it damn well does because for whatever you or I want, we’re still the same damn person and nothing changes that!:_**

**::Says who?::**

**_::The fact that we’re the same person!::_ **

**::And if we weren’t?::**

Harry’s brows furrowed.

 **::We’re not the same mind::** Qye said quietly.  **::Why not just separate?::**

 ** _::What the hell are you talking about?::_** Harry said, shifting uncomfortably.

 **::There was a potion for the subconscious** :: Qye said slowly.  **::Why not for the body as well?::**

 ** _::The purpose of the potion wasn’t to do this - ::_** Harry protested.

 **::Fine::** Qye said impatiently.  **::Then we find a potion that sort of fits this, something, anything that gets me out of you, just like we planned before.  Obviously there’s a reaction to the vampiric abilities, who’s to say we can’t do this?::**

Harry stared at his hand, aching from still latched on tight onto the door knob.

 ** _::Why won’t you just let me get help?::_** he asked Qye quietly.

Qye said nothing for a long while.

 **::They’ll want to fix us too::** Qye whispered.   **::Dumbledore…Myn…Lest…all they’ll see is something broken and make the choice for us.::**

Harry closed his eyes.  **_::Qye…::_**

 **::I fell asleep with a family, Harry, and someone took my life from me::** Qye said roughly.  **::Someone locked me away, took me away from Lest and Myn and everything I knew.  And now I find out about a future I could have had and it scares me because nothing is like I thought it would be.  The things that have happened, the things I never knew about, never had a chance to do anything about.  How can anyone understand this?  How can anyone understand waking up to a life never imagined possible? The people I knew and trusted aren’t the people I remember.  And Dumbledore, the people you know?  How can they understand?  We’ll just be expected to accept this because of what someone else, _something_ else, did and I don’t accept this.  The one person I can depend on is someone who could have been me.::**   He laughed, a touch bitterly.  **::I shouldn’t be surprised the only person I can depend on is me.::**  
  
Harry flinched.  **_::And you don’t want to have us fixed because…?::_**

 **::Because it’s not fair to you or me::** Qye said fiercely.  **::And we’ve been robbed of our own choices and decisions long enough.::**

 ** _::And if my decision is to go to them?::_** Harry asked.  **_::What if I wanted to choose to get us fixed, merge us together?::_**

He felt the control slip back into his hand and slowly flexed his fingers around the doorknob.

 **::Then that’s your choice, Harry::** Qye said quietly.  He felt the other pull back and the control slowly return to his body.  **::You already know mine.::**

Harry stared for a long while at his hand on the doorknob, at the possibilities that awaited beyond it.

Slowly, his hand slipped off.

He turned and rested his back against the door, staring down at his feet.

 ** _::We’ve spent months trying to get you out of my head in the first place::_** he said softly.  **_::How much longer until we go find help?::_**

 **::We can do this, Harry::** Qye said, just as softly.

He was quiet.  **_::You don’t trust that they’ll give us a choice, do you?::_**

**::I trust you.::**

Harry stared blankly at the empty bathroom, his cloak shimmering on the floor, the darkness lurking in the stalls and corners.  He heard the stubbornness in Qye’s voice hiding the fright and confusion and rage, felt that still shaken and trembling feeling thrumming in his body, shared that unshakable horror about finally knowing exactly what had been done to their life.

**_::What vampire do you suppose did this in the first place?::_ **

**::Don’t know::** Qye replied.  **::Possibly the Dazains.  Lest always had a distaste for them and they did have a war with them.::**

A memory stirred and he closed his eyes.  **_::I think he said Qye before he kissed me.::_**

He felt that dark flash of pain from Qye before it subdued and Qye mumbled **::It was probably a memory trying to come back.  He hasn’t said anything since and Lest’s never been the shy type.::**

**_::You don’t think he remembers?::_ **

**::No::** Qye snorted, voice growing confidant.  **::Lest would never have willingly abandoned me.::**

**_::Right.::_ **

They sat in silence for another long while.

 ** _::Fine, let’s try.::_** He snorted mirthlessly.  **_::If it’s even possible.::_**

 **::There’s magic, anything should be possible::** Qye said, uncharacteristically optimistic.

**_::But if it’s not -::_ **

**::It _will_ work:: ** Qye said fiercely.  **::Just…::** He exhaled.  **::At least give a try until the end of the term.  Myn is staying for certain until then.  Then…then we’ll figure out who we can trust to listen.::**

Harry stared listlessly at the pale beige wall.  **_::What do we do if by some odd chance this happens?  What then?::_**

Qye sighed.  **::We’ll work from there.  All I know is we can’t live like one person.  Right?::**

 ** _::Right::_** he whispered.

 **::And::** Qye continued, voice deepening into something darker and harsher, **::once we make this happen, the first thing I’m going to do is find the person responsible and make them hurt.::**

Harry closed his eyes.

He felt a brush against his mind, hesitant and hopeful.  He reached for it numbly, shivering as he felt Qye grasp back tight.

\-----

“How much longer are you going to stay?”

The lamplight illuminated the parts of her quarters the dim moonlight couldn’t as Myn sat at her desk, correcting the latest practice O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s.  As the only professor unable to perform magic, it made her job more difficult to make sure the students were qualified enough to sit and pass the exams.

More so when Lest was a constant brooding presence.

He looked up from where he was reading the latest correspondence from the rest of the council on one of her couches.

“What was that?” he asked, putting down the letter in his hand.

She sighed and put aside another exam, leaning back in her chair and wearily observing her brother.

“You’ve been at Hogwarts for months now,” she said.  He’d been noticeably quieter and more withdrawn if possible ever since that night at the dance.  After his cryptic comments that night, no matter how much she hinted and probed and asked, he wouldn’t say anything more and spent most of his days in her office drafting statements but never sending them.  The correspondence he had in hand were only the latest in news from the council and he only had them because they had been addressed to her to pass along.

The war might have been mostly over but he was struggling with his role as the Pater Nosferatu of Europe so long as he remained here and distracted by something he would not say.

“Are you tired of me already?” he said, twirling the quill in his hand absently.

“I’m just wondering,” she responded.  She nodded over at the pile of letters in his lap.  “People are starting to wonder why you are staying here so long.  After all, it’s my job to be here, not yours.”

He said nothing, lowering his gaze as he continued to toy with the quill.

“Lest, why are you staying so long?” she asked, resting her arms on her armrests, clenching and unclenching her hands.  “You arrived the beginning of March, it’s already May.  Saira and Leon and all the other Heads are wondering exactly what your angle is here.

He remained silent.

All her frustration from the exams, Lest’s heavy silences, and the pressure from the families came to a head.

Lest’s head snapped up as her chair crashed to the floor as Myn stood up.

“Damn it all, answer me, Lest!” she snarled.  She threw the exams to the floor as she stormed around her desk, her blue eyes flashing angrily.  “Ever since you’ve come here you’ve been nothing but cryptic and troublesome!  You tell me nothing for all your talk that you’ve made decisions!  You sit here and stare angrily at the walls and do nothing!”

Lest looked at the flames.  Quietly, he said, “Qye is at Hogwarts.”

Myn closed her eyes.

She doesn’t feel the expected joy or pain, the burst of relief or worry, the fear of the consequences – all she felt was numbness with detached thoughts of how screwed up it all was.  She had seen it coming and ignored it, dismissed it, tried not to think so much on it and now that it was out there, finally, in the open…

Myn crumpled down on the nearest sofa.

“Harry likes Draco very much,” she mumbled.

Lest’s face hardened.

“I know,” he said, almost snarling.

“He won’t be too happy,” she continued quietly.

Lest took a deep breath and closed his eyes.  “I know.”

He opened them and glared at Myn.  “It’s your fault.”

A fire quickly burned away the numbness and she bared her teeth at him and stood back up.   “Don’t you fucking dare Lest, don’t you dare put this on me!”

She stormed over to him and grabbed him by his shirt, dragging him up in front of her as tears blurred her vision. “You were the one who blocked his memories, you were the one who made this decision!  He wouldn’t be this way if you hadn’t, if you had just listened to me when I told you not to!”

Dark blue eyes stared back tiredly.  “I had no choice.”

She let go of his shirt and slapped him.

Lest staggered back and collapsed in the armchair, making no move to defend himself.

For a long while, she stood there breathing heavily as Lest stared silently down at the floor, his cheek slowly reddening.

Thoughts of Harry smiling hesitantly at her, letting her pat his head, asking her for help to a date he was obviously excited for whirled through her mind, alongside the memories of Lest fiercely fighting through the war, his youthful smirks giving way to cold expressions, growing harsh and bitter under the expectations of leadership, trying to get back to his best friend.

She thought back to the way Harry smiled at Draco as they studied.

The way Lest grinned at Qye as the boy glowered back teasingly.

Myn slowly sat down next to him and gripped his shoulder.  “What are you going to do?”

Lest said quietly, “I’ll tell him after the O.W.Ls.”

He smiled bitterly.  “Qye was always pissed when I bothered him studying.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is where I may a lose a couple of people because the most recurring comment I've had is "when will they merge?". All I ask is please keep reading because there are still a lot of things that can happen, one way or another. I will definitely say this is one issue that is not laid to rest, as much as Qye wants it to be. I can't say much more without spoiling so I hope you give me a chance.
> 
> As always, thank you!!
> 
>  
> 
> Next chapter: "What to Do” – Decisions are made as the end of term comes closer.


	29. What To Do

Ron awoke to the sound of a loud crash in their room.

He tore open his curtains in time to see Harry hurl a tray of potion vials at his headboard, shattering on impact and falling to join the mess of items on the barely slept in bed.  Books lay scattered on the bed, on the floor, the trunk at the foot of the bed wide open as Harry reached in for another object to throw.  One of the curtains hung loosely from a bedpost as if someone had tried to tear it off and the Firebolt was tossed carelessly aside.

Barely awake, Ron lurched out of bed and grabbed Harry as he raised a pocket Sneakoscope over his head.

“Harry!” he said, alarmed and blinking as he tried to orient himself to the chaotic scene, struggling to hold on to the thrashing teenager.  “Harry, calm down!”

He was barely aware of the coverings of the other beds opening up as he tightened his grip behind Harry, trying desperately to stop him.  For all the fact that he was smaller and slighter than the redhead, Harry was fighting desperately, arms reaching without a seeming target.  Ron briefly saw glimpses of tear tracks on his pale cheeks.

“Harry?” Dean mumbled sleepily, blinking from where he lay in bed.  “Ron, what the hell is going on?”

Ron opened his mouth to answer but before he could say anything he grunted as Harry threw himself forward, a strangled cry in his throat as he reached for his trunk again.  His bare feet skidded across the floor and he tightened his hold.

The next moment, Seamus and Neville were there, helping him as Harry fought wildly, putting themselves between him and the destruction.

“Oi, mate!” Seamus said in alarm, holding onto the arm that held the Sneakoscope, his Irish accent thick in his worry.  “Harry, careful now!”

“Harry, are you okay?” Neville asked worriedly, grasping Harry’s other arm.  “What’s wrong?”

“I’m going to get McGonagall,” Dean said, stumbling out of his bed, tripping over his robes strewn on the floor.  “I should - ”

_“No!”_

They all froze.

“No, please,” Harry choked out.  He stilled before suddenly going limp in their grasp, the Sneakoscope falling from his hand and landing with a solid thud on the floor.  Dean hovered uncertainly a few feet from his bed as the others looked warily at the suddenly still black-haired teenager.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, staring listlessly at his bed.  Seamus and Neville slowly started to let go of his arms as Ron held on, waiting to see what he would do next.  “I’m sorry, I didn’t…I’m sorry.”  He shivered and Ron saw him close his eyes.  “I’m sorry, please don’t…I’m sorry.”

“Get Hermione,” Ron said without looking away from Harry, slowly shifting his grip from around his best friend’s body to holding onto his shoulders.  Harry didn’t seem to have anymore fight left in him, swaying on his feet with his head bowed.

“Should we get McGonagall anyway?” whispered Neville nervously, glancing back and forth between Harry and his remains of his random frenzy.

“Please,” Harry whispered, trembling beneath Ron’s hands.  “Please, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, please don’t.”  Ron inhaled sharply as Harry abruptly fell to the floor, putting his face in his hands.  He went to one knee as Dean dashed out of the room, already calling out for Hermione.

“Harry?” he asked worriedly.

“I’m fine,” was the muffled reply.  “I’m fine, I swear, I’m sorry.”  He shook once more and gasped, half-laugh, half-sob, “I didn’t sleep well.”

“Didn’t sleep at all looks like,” Seamus muttered as he eyed the ruins on the bed, the sheets still tucked in.  Neville bent down and carefully put some of the books back in the trunk, still uncertainly looking at Harry.

“I’ve got this,” Ron said.  He glanced back at his dorm mates, shifting uncomfortably.  “Give us a moment?”

“Right,” Seamus said right as Dean came back with Hermione bundled up in her sleep robe.  Dean hovered in the doorway and Ron could see a few curious faces behind him, obviously attracted by Dean’s shouting.

Hermione took one look at them and promptly went over, kneeling gently down and winding her arms around their friend.

Harry jolted before bowing his face towards her, shaking.

Ron turned to tell the people at the door way off but their dorm mates were already there, loudly complaining about wanting to get changed and started for the day, would everyone please leave, they weren’t stripping, didn’t they all have studying to do.  Dean gave Ron a thumbs up behind his back.

The door thudded close.

“I’m tired” was all Harry said as Hermione worriedly held him, his words muffled in her shoulder.  “I’m so tired, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…”

He kept repeating it as she hugged him and Ron tightened his grip on his shoulder, his blue eyes meeting her brown eyes in concern.

\------ 

Hagrid furrowed his brows and asked where Harry was during their lesson.  Ron reassured him that he was just feeling a little under the weather.  After the lesson, the redhead promised to deliver the rock cakes with his well wishes.

Professor McGonagall frowned as she handed over the day’s assignment to Hermione, the bushy-haired teenager promising that Harry would be fine with a day’s rest, she wasn’t convinced he needed yet another trip to the Infirmary.

When the rest of the Gryffindors started to question what had gone on that morning, the Weasley twins had promptly offered the latest delicacies their product line had to offer while their dorm mates shrugged it all off.

Professor Opacre stopped Hermione and Ron on their way to Herbology, looking oddly strained and troubled.  Hermione barely managed to say that Harry was just catching up on some sorely needed sleep before Ron tugged her away, lips thin and body tense.

When they checked in on Harry throughout the day – at lunch, after the last of classes, before dinner – they found him in the same spot they left him that morning, curled up under a blanket, staring dully at the top of his bed.

Hermione brought him biscuits and apples, pumpkin juice and tea, carefully smuggled in her bag and left on his bedside drawer.  Once dinner was over, both Hermione and Ron opted out of their routine and took their studying upstairs, Hermione primly sitting on one side of Harry, brows furrowed as she marked new notes and reviewed her outlines while Ron lay stretched out on the other side, flipping through an old magazine of Quidditch Weekly.

They both relaxed when they heard Harry’s breathing deepen into sleep.

\------

“If you think,” Ron began, still stretched out on Harry’s bed as Harry came silently back from the showers the next morning, “that we’re going to let this go without an explanation, you’ve got another thing coming.”

Harry picked up a robe and sat on his bed, staring down at the floor.

Hermione sat on his trunk, already dressed, her pale face and the dark bags under her eyes mirroring Ron’s.

Ron slowly twirled his wand in his hand, his blue eyes fixed on his best friend as the silence stretched.  The rest of their dorm mates had left earlier, prompted by Hermione while Ron made sure Harry wasn’t disturbed.

“I’m sorry,” Harry said quietly, finally.

“Not an explanation,” Ron replied, still twirling his wand.  Hermione sat patiently, leaning forward on the trunk but making no move yet to the tense black haired teenager.

Harry lifted his eyes and met Ron’s.  The redhead paused in his wand movements, seeing the exhausted and disconsolate look in his friend’s eyes.

“I don’t have a good one,” Harry exhaled, “besides the fact that I’m just so tired.”  He closed eyes and continued, a touch bitterly now, “Very, very tired.”

“Is it Voldemort?” Hermione asked quietly.  “The O.W.L.s?”  She paused briefly.  “Draco?”’

“It’s the fact that I’m never, ever going to be normal, am I?” he murmured as he opened his eyes and looked over at her.

“Oh, Harry,” Hermione breathed, a sorrowful expression growing on her face at the sight of his eyes.  She stood up and sat next to him, wrapping an arm around him.  “Harry, what is this?”

“I’m tired,” he said simply, looking back down at the floor, his foot nudging a discarded book.

“You’ve always been strong,” Ron said, as he straightened up and moved to sit next to them.  His blue eyes narrowed at him.  “You-Know-Who trying to make your life a living hell, end of year exams, Malfoy being a git, you’ve never let any of this beat you down before.”  
  
“Maybe I just finally hit the point where I’ve about had it with what life throws at me,” Harry said flatly.

“All of a sudden?” Ron said skeptically, raising an eyebrow.  “Not that you haven’t been acting funny since the dance but…” He gestured down at the floor, where there were still a few scattered shreds of parchment and quills and books.  “This?  This isn’t you, mate.”

“I don’t know what is anymore,” Harry mumbled.  He swallowed and tilted his head back, eyes blinking rapidly at the ceiling.  “I’ve got no clue who I am.”

Hermione gently grasped his chin and turned his tired face to hers, her voice gentle but firm as she said, “You’re a remarkable person for having gone through what you gone through.  You’re our friend who I have no doubt would do anything to make sure we were happy and well, just like we do with you.  There is nothing wrong with needing our help or letting us do something, anything to make this easier for you.  Whatever this is.”

“It would be nice to know what this is,” Ron muttered, grimacing as Hermione shot him a quick, quelling look.  He sighed and nudged Harry’s shoulder wearily.  “You know me, always ready for another adventure.”

“I don’t know what anyone can do,” Harry said, gently breaking Hermione’s hold as he turned away from her.  “Unless you know a way to help me get these thoughts out of my head,” he mumbled.

She tilted her head.  “Would that help?”

He stilled.

Hermione’s eyes widened briefly and she exchanged a cautious look with Ron over Harry’s head before carefully putting her hand on their friend’s shoulder.  “Harry?”

He turned to her, face pale.  “Exactly what do you mean?”  His eyes narrowed swiftly.  “No subconscious potions,” he practically growled.

“No, but I remember seeing something in one of my review guides for past N.E.W.T.s,” Hermione said thoughtfully.

“Why do you have guides for the N.E.W.T.s?” Ron asked incredulously, momentarily distracted.  “We’re barely taking the O.W.L.s!”

“It was from a while ago, I wasn’t sure if they might’ve incorporated other topics from previous years when they revise the exams every year,” Hermione said absently, still looking at Harry, who’s expression had gone curiously blank.

“It couldn’t hurt, I suppose,” Harry said carefully, eyes distant.

“I’ll check into it, then,” she said.  He nodded slowly and she touched his hand, watching his eyes focus as he blinked at her.  “In the mean time, is there anything else we can do?  Anything you want to tell us?”

He looked at her, turned his head to look back at Ron who was still watching him with narrowed eyes.

He stood up and walked a few paces from them before turning around.

“I’m glad we’re friends,” he said quietly.  His eyes flickered lost for a moment and he swallowed.  “Whatever happens just…keep doing that.”

\-----

 **::What do you know::** Qye said quietly, when they were finally alone in the bathroom as Hermione and Ron bickered outside, waiting for him to join them to their first class after breakfast.  **::Your outburst had some benefit after all.::**

Harry tightened his grip around the sink.

 ** _::That’s unfair::_** he said tightly, green eyes glaring into the mirror.

He heard Qye take a deep breath and felt a small sense of apology.  **::You’re right.  I just…you wouldn’t listen to me.::**

 ** _::You weren’t doing so well either::_** Harry muttered as he washed his hands roughly.

 **::I guess it’s not as easy as I thought it would be::** Qye grimaced, a flicker of unease and anger running in the back of Harry’s head.  **::When we really thought about it.::**

Harry turned off the faucet and bowed his head.

 **::The vampire asshole’s going to pay::** Qye whispered as Harry picked up his bag.  **::I promise us that.::**

\-----

Over the course of the next weeks, Harry fought hard not to repeat that day’s events.

It was hard when he would momentarily forget what he knew, grinning at a story one of his friends told or laughing at an inside joke.  But then the feelings would come back hard and he struggled not to scream and let everyone know.

Harder still when, despite being calm himself, he would suddenly find himself in a wave of rage and loss from Qye.

Struggling to keep up his façade while inside, Qye lashed out waves of fury in his mind, fear and confusion rolling over him.

Hermione kept up her promise, looking through her guides while she made sure Harry and Ron studied.  The problem was, she had so many and hadn’t specifically marked what she had seen.  Harry felt a pang of guilt every time he came down and found her still at her table in the common room, another stack of guides beside her.

Then there was Draco and Lest.

Lest’s eyes still seemed to follow him every time he entered the Great Hall to the point where he could barely eat.  Qye, thankfully, never said anything when Harry made his excuses to leave his presence as quickly as possible, however much Harry could feel his heartbreaking longing.

Draco’s lips thinned every time Harry briskly finished their schoolwork and ducked away before he could be cornered.  Harry always, always found himself somewhere hidden shortly after, his magic wildly rolling within him as he tried to reign his emotions about this entire damn situation. 

Every day they both looked more and more frustrated but Harry couldn’t afford the time to care for either of them, not when he was looking for his own solution as the end of the year was so near.

\-----

They finally found it, the last week of May while reviewing.  Ron had wearily turned a page in a Charms book and mumbled about needing a pensieve to collect all the parts of his brain leaking out.

They both looked up when Hermione suddenly shoved aside her Transfiguration text and pulled out a guide, swiftly flipping through it.

“Pensieve, pensieve,” she muttered, brows furrowed.  Ron and Harry exchanged looks and looked back when she suddenly cried “aha!” and pushed it over to Harry.

“This is what I saw,” she said eagerly as Harry slowly pulled it closer to him, glancing down.  He immediately frowned when he saw that it was a potion but Hermione continued, unmindful of his sudden tension.  “It’s a potion that the mists in the pensieve were theoretically based on.  Unlike an actual pensieve, however, it works by extracting the full memory instead of a copy.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?” Ron said doubtfully as Harry silently read the description and list of ingredients.

Hermione hesitated.  “Well…it’s been used as a last resort treatment for those with retrograde amnesia and found to be particularly effective for those without magical causes but rather physical or - ”

“But it removes a memory,” Ron frowned as Harry kept his eyes on the page so that Qye could review it as well.  “How can that not screw up a person’s head?”

“It’s a temporary effect, after which the memory dissipates and returns to its owner unless it’s stored in a preservative container such as a pensieve,” Hermione explained.  Harry glanced up, frowning slightly.  She gave him a look back.  “It should be more than enough time for you to look them over and help you find whatever you’re looking for.  And of course we’ll be there with you - ”

“Let me think about it,” Harry said, looking back down at the potion.  He gave them a quick smile as he pulled back his Astronomy notes.  “It’s not like I should do any of this while O.W.L.s are going on.”

Hermione eyed him suspiciously as he put aside the guide.  “You can even keep it, alright?  I just want to think about it.”  She nodded slowly and Harry reached over to quickly give her hand a small squeeze.  “Thank you,” he murmured.

She relaxed and picked up her quill once he let go of her hand.

Once Ron and Hermione were thoroughly engrossed in their own studying, Harry subtly used his wand to copy the potion onto a blank piece of parchment, tucking it between Defense Against the Dark Arts notes.

\-----

 **::This might work::** Qye murmured later that night as Harry reviewed the potion again.

 ** _::Then what?::_** Harry asked cynically as he frowned at the parchment.  The _Corporale Memoria_ potion did exactly what Hermione said and turned the memory of a person into a tangible product, expelled as a mist from the drinker to form into a material which contained all the thoughts and feelings associated with the memory.  The memory was typically guided out by another individual or concentrated on by the drinker.  And just like Hermione said, its effect lasted for only two hours before it lost its form and dissipated back into the individual it came from unless restrained in a magical construct.  **_::Are you going to be happy living the rest of your life as a mass of memories?  Who knows if that will even be you or just - ::_**

 **::We’ll figure something out::** Qye snapped back.  **::If you just focus on _me_ instead of a specific memory, this should work.::**

There was a tense silence as Harry fingered the parchment he had copied the potion on.

Qye exhaled.  **::Let’s drink this first.  The subconscious potion already laid out the foundation, this should work.::**

 ** _::What happens if this doesn’t work?::_** Harry asked quietly.  **_::Or worse?  We don’t exactly have a great record with potions.::_**

 **::Then you can yell at me and say ‘I told you so’.::** Qye said wearily.  **::Before we go and tell Granger everything.::**

Harry’s eyebrows shot up.  **_::Hermione?::_**

 **::She’s your friend::** Qye said quietly.  **::She cares about you, I don’t doubt that.  Maybe as smart as me.  If we have to pick someone to start with, might as well be her.::  
**

**_::You don’t think she’ll try to fix us?::_** Harry asked carefully.

**::I think she’ll at least listen to you.::**

Harry hesitated.  **_::What about the others?  Dumbledore and…them?::_**

Qye was silent for a moment.  **::Granger first.  Then Myn.::** Harry felt a flicker of fear from the other.  **::Gods, I hope this works::** he whispered.

Harry nodded.

 **::In the meantime, let’s review::** Qye said, clearing his throat as Harry carefully hid the potion parchment.   **::No point in ruining your education::** he tried to joke.

Harry thought as quietly as possible as he brought out his study notes, _‘Let it work, please.’_

\-----

“I’m still worried about Harry,” Hermione said one afternoon when Harry was off sending a letter to Sirius.  He had fended off their company, promising he would come straight back but needing a moment for himself.

Ron, glaring down at his History of Magic notes which had more doodles than anything, said distractedly, “What else is new?”

Then he sighed and put down his quill, already knowing Hermione’s fretful face before he looked up.  “I don’t know else we can do, ‘Mione.  You gave him that thought sorter idea and he hasn’t said anything else about it.”  He shrugged and leaned back, folding his arms.  “Short of dousing him with Veritaserum and sitting on him, what are we going to do?  And don’t think I haven’t thought of it.”

Hermione fidgeted.  “Maybe we should talk to Draco?” she said delicately.  “See if Harry would be more amenable?”

Ron looked flatly at her.

Hermione blew out her bangs and gave him her own look.  “Don’t give me that look, I know you’re talking with him even though I still don’t know why.” 

Ron looked down and exhaled.

“I’ve asked.”  If by asked, he actually meant more like threatened and came away with a few mutual scorch marks.  “Something happened at the dance but beyond that, I’ve got no clue.  He just mutters something about Harry wanting space and - ” He paused, remembering Malfoy’s warning to not leave Harry alone with Opacre at all.

She gave him a suspicious look.  “And what?”

Ron chewed his lip and sighed.  “He said not to leave Harry alone with Professor Opacre’s brother.”

Hermione’s eyebrows shot up.  “What?”

He shrugged.  “That’s all he said.  Mind you, the git’s got bad blood with him obviously but the way he said it…”  He shrugged again.

Hermione frowned.  “You don’t suppose something happened between them?” she said slowly, looking confused and thoughtful.  “Maybe he’s the reason behind this?”  She shook her head, frowning more.  “No, Harry would have said something.”  Then she sighed and slumped back against her own chair.  “Maybe.”

Ron looked out the window, foot drumming against the floor.  “I don’t know.  I just know I don’t like the way he’s been looking at him.”

Hermione gazed at him.  “You don’t think he means to hurt him, do you?”  Her hand unconsciously tightened around her wand.

“I don’t know,” Ron said, still staring out the window.  “I just know either way, it’s not going to be good.”

\------

Draco slowly rolled his family ring between his fingers as he stared at the fireplace in the common room.  It was brighter than usual, no doubt to account for all the students gathered at the tables and couches instead of carefully cloistered in their respective private rooms and rendezvous areas.  His own notes were on his lap where he had been reviewing them before casting them aside as soon as he came across a note on Threstrals.

He grimaced and put down his ring on the small table next to him.

More than a month and nothing.  No words, no letters, not even a decent argument as an outlet for his frustration.  If not for the fact that he saw Opacre’s face grow darker with a similar frustration every day, he would have thought the vampire had done something.  As it was, he still suspected something, with the way Harry seemed to avoid him as much as he did the Slytherin.

He clenched his hand around his ring, felt the pointed ends of the M dig into his palm.

“Malfoy?”

He turned his head and narrowed his eyes at a bored-looking first year holding out a letter to him.  The wide-eyed wonder and hesitance quickly disappeared by the end of year and most of the deference to the older years was washed away by the cutthroat competitiveness.

The first year shifted uncomfortably on her feet as Draco silently regarded her.

Most of it.

He held out a hand and she dropped the letter in his hand, a touch of haughtiness coming back to cover up her uncertainty.  “Professor Snape said to open it as soon as you got it.  He said he’ll be in the teacher’s lounge if you need him.”

She curiously looked at him as he opened the envelope and blinked when he paused in unfolding the actual letter.

He gave her a look, to which to her credit she did not flinch at but merely frowned and turned away, presumably back to her own studying.

‘ _Greengrass_ ,’ he thought as he unfolded the letter.  _‘Maybe someone to - ’_

His thoughts ended as he read the letter, the signature at the end familiar from the past summer.

His ring lay forgotten on the table as he quickly left for the teacher’s lounge, hand tight on the letter and thoughts of a silent green-eyed teenager on his mind.

\-----

“This was foolish.”

“Waste of time,” someone added, frowning.

“No idea why we teamed up with them in the first place,” growled another.

“No results.”

“Did better on our own.”

“Did we?  I was at Norway, that was - ”

“We have better now,” someone hissed.  “He’s better, he - ”

“Then we don’t need this,” another insisted.  “This was completely useless, we’ve gotten nothing from it except - ”

“We should just eat them and - ”

“That’s hardly considerate when everything has been set,” Lord Voldemort interrupted as he apparated a few feet from them.

The group of vampires in the room stiffened as a few more _pops_ announced the arrival of the Death Eaters, some scowling as fiercely as a few of the vampires.

“You can hardly blame their restlessness,” a voice said in the doorway and the vampires turned as one as its speaker drummed his fingers against the frame.  “We were used to more action when we faced the Opacres.”

“And how well that worked for you,” Lord Voldemort smiled mockingly as he sat at the head of the table.  One of the vampires bared his fangs but quickly bowed his head when another raised her hand.

“One week until the exams are over,” Lord Voldemort continued, apparently unconcerned with the tension between the groups.  “One week until the older students are drained, the professors distracted by the exams for the other years.  None of them are wondering and no one will be on guard, as you suggested.”

“It worked with Nosle,” murmured one of the vampires.  “And there won’t be any of the Nosle Kids there this time.”

“We attack on the last day of exams,” Dazain murmured, flipping his broach with his Gemmus in one hand.

The Dark Lord smiled as the vampires and wizards shifted on their feet.  “Lord Voldemort always delivers.”     

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: "Attack” – O.W.L.s, a potion and the Dazains. It’s the end of term.


	30. Attack - Part I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This was suppose to be one chapter. Suppose to.
> 
> ...I hope you all enjoy the extra content. ^^;

The first O.W.L. was Care of Magical Creatures.

 Harry paused as he came across the questions on Threstrals and forced down his memories of working with Draco, forcing himself to finish quickly.  He sat furiously scribbling away every characteristic of a winged horse that he remembered, trying not to count the minutes until he could slip away.

The exams that had seemed so distant were now here and all those hours studying didn’t seem quite enough. 

The edgy tension of the students clung to the whole of the school, followed them through the corridors to the classrooms, even the Great Hall where everyone was cramming last minute studying in between distracted bites.  The professors were on edge, seen quietly talking with the official proctors who seemed particularly interested with Professor Opacre, the only teacher whose students had been taught under someone without magic and whose smiles seemed a little more forced nowadays.  He saw the way Lest had pulled aside the proctors, questioning them while they tried to hide their nervousness behind their official titles and searches for cheating.

 _‘At least he doesn’t seem to be staring at me as much,_ ’ Harry thought briefly, as he ducked out of the Great Hall in between written exams.  He flashed a sense of apology towards Qye.

 **::It should be done after all this::** Qye said as he dashed past stressed throngs of students.  **::We’ll be getting the Jobberknoll feather before the end of this week if your owl delivery comes through on time.::**

 ** _::Never had any problems before::_** Harry replied distractedly as he took a staircase to a familiar corridor.

Deciding that they would try the potion turned out to be the easier part of the process.  Reviewing the ingredient list again after making the decision had revealed that while making the potion itself was not complicated, it was time-consuming and would go straight through the O.W.L.s, assuming that they could get all the ingredients on time.  He had briefly considered making another run for Snape’s storage but decided against it as he realized he would not have Hermione’s assistance.  Which created another problem as he realized that not only would he have to brew the potion on his own but he needed to do it somewhere his friends would not be likely to discover.

Since he wanted to monitor the potion closely – both he and Qye strongly agreed they wouldn’t try it if it was even a _shade_ of color wrong – he couldn’t do it in the Shrieking Shack and Myrtle’s bathroom was too obvious a choice.  There were too many chances some apparently unused classroom could be used as a rendezvous by some other students despite the exams taking place.

In the end, through a midnight wandering use of the Marauder’s Map, he found a secret alcove near the Boathouse that was hidden by a portrait. There was enough of an air current from the nearby lake that it took the fumes from the potion and smoke from the fire through the edges of the portrait.  He had tentatively set up his stone cauldron – 

( ** _::If this works, I am making you carry every single thing for the next year::_** Harry grunted as he lugged it in one late night under the cover of his Invisibility Cloak.

**:: _When_ this works, I’ll happily do it.  I’m sure I can figure out that whole telekinesis thing.::**

**_::Who forgets - ::_ **

**::Shut up and remember you need a rainwater base.::** )

\- and immediately begun.  Now that the exams were underway, he spent every moment not testing or studying checking in on the potion.

\-----

Hermione, while they took a quick bite in the courtyard wistfully looking out at the spring day, abruptly asked, “Will you tell us why you needed that potion?”

Harry looked up from his treacle tart.  Her hair was messier than usual, a stray strand cutting across her tired face but her eyes unwavering.  She met his gaze evenly and when he glanced over at Ron, he found that same level stare looking back at him.

“You haven’t talked about it since,” Hermione continued quietly.  “So I assume you’ve figured out what you needed to without it.”

Harry ignored the stab of guilt and took a deep breath as he put down his tart.  “After the O.W.L.s.”

**::Harry…::  
**

**_::The potion will be done by then and we’ll know if it works::_** Harry said, watching as Ron and Hermione exchanged looks.  **_::One way or another, it’ll come out then.::_**

“After,” Hermione agreed after they both nodded at each other and looked back at him. 

“I reserve the right to have Ginny knock you with her Bat Bogey Hex if you try to dodge us,” Ron added.  “Or, you know, owl Mum.”  He smirked at Harry’s slight shudder.

Qye sighed.  **_::That’ll be an interesting meeting::_**

Harry shook his head and gave a faint grin at the redhead.  “Noted.”

“I do have to say though,” Hermione said as they stood up to head back, “I’m surprised how better you’ve gotten at studying.”

Harry’s grip tightened around his bag, unnoticed.

\------

Harry added in seven forget-me-nots and slowly stirred clockwise, frowning as the golden color deepened to a dark violet.

 **::Still right on track::** Qye murmured as he ceased stirring and sat back against the wall, listening to the gentle simmering while twirling the Jobberknoll feather.  **::Everything will be done by the time you finish your last exam.::**

Harry hummed as he continued to watch the potion.

He felt Qye randomly flicking through his memories, distracted and restless.

 ** _::We haven’t talked about the differences::_** Harry murmured.  Qye’s attention sharpened and he continued carefully, **_::We haven’t talked about the Dursleys.::_**

 **::I don’t see the need to::** Qye replied flatly.

Harry looked at the swirling potion, still slowly spinning the feather in his hand.  He thought briefly of the journal entries he read and the things Qye didn’t say.  **_::You know they’re - ::_**

 **::Irrelevant::** Qye interrupted and Harry breathed deep at the cold tone.  **::I’m more interested in the fact that we have a godfather and someone who knew our parents when they were alive.::**

**_::Haven’t talked about them either.::_ **

Qye’s uncertainty peaked and subsided, quickly overtaken by his determination.  **::Not important right now.  We need to finish this potion.::**

Harry checked the time.  **_::You realize we will have to talk about this one day.  You’ll have to - ::_**

 **::If this is your way of trying to prepare me for this not working and going back to that blasted idea of merging - ::** Qye said heatedly.

Harry’s fist slammed down on the stone floor and Qye fell silent.

 ** _::I want this to work as much as you::_** Harry said, staring at the potion.   He glanced at the feather in his hand and slowly unclenched his hand.  **_::But all these things we’re not talking about, they’re still there and we’re going to have to deal with them as soon as this is done.::_**   He took a deep breath and exhaled, dropping his head.  **_::I guess I just don’t want any more surprises.::_**

 **::Right::** Qye said.  Harry closed his eyes as he felt that familiar gentle brush across his mind.  **::We’ll be okay, Harry.::**

Harry’s eyebrows rose as he dropped the feather in, watching it sink and turn the potion a vibrant blue.  **_::So optimistic now.::_**

 **::No::** Qye said as he looked from behind Harry’s eyes.  **::Not optimistic.  This is a shit situation and we have too much uncertainty.  But I know two things.  I’m smart, smart enough to know that we have a million resources we haven’t tried yet, clever enough to think of alternatives when one fails us.::**

 ** _::Careful that your pride doesn’t show, Qye::_** Harry muttered dryly, rolling his shoulders as he stood up.   ** _::What’s the second thing then?::_**

Qye waited until Harry gathered all his things before he answered.  **::No one expects the two of us.::**

\------

The day before the O.W.L.s ended, the day before the potion was to be completed, he saw Draco on his way back from checking it.

There were a few other students in the corridor with them, mostly Ravenclaws with their concentration on the notes they held as they headed to lunch.  In a rare occurrence, Draco didn’t have any of his Slytherin housemates with him and walked with a distant frown at a book he held in his hand.

Harry made a split-second decision.

 ** _::Don’t say anything::_** he said swiftly to Qye, startling the other as he quickened his steps and grabbed Draco’s arm.

The frown swiftly disappeared as Draco whirled around, wand in his hand.  His scowl shifted to confusion as Harry pulled him into an alcove down an empty corridor, silently waiting for the footsteps of the Ravenclaws to fade.

“What the hell, Potter,” Draco began, confusion warring with frustration on his face.

He stiffened in surprise as Harry shifted his hold to his shoulders and kissed him.

Harry closed his eyes, trying to convey his desire, hesitation, fear and hope as much as possible as he kissed him, his fingers clenching tight.  He exhaled against Draco’s lips as he began to pull back, a slight shiver running through him.

Draco’s arms wrapped around him and pulled him back, kissing him just as roughly.  He answered back, every harsh press met with a nip at the lips, every breathless sound chased after, holding onto the warmth and solidness of their bodies together.  There was a faint taste of chocolate and something he distantly recognized as just Draco, something warm and heated and still inviting.

When he couldn’t push aside his need to breathe anymore he reluctantly pulled back, body shuddering as he blinked open his eyes and inhaled sharply at the sight of the reddened cheeks and lips.  Draco’s eyes were heavy lidded and burning as they looked at each other.

He said lowly in the small space between them, “Talk to me after the O.W.L.s.”

Draco’s eyes narrowed and Harry couldn’t resist sliding his hands from his shoulders up his neck, thumbing across one still warm cheek before sliding through the soft strands of his loose hair.

“Please,” he said quietly as those sharp eyes searched his own.

A pale hand touched his jaw and Harry felt his pulse quicken as long slim fingers caressed his skin.

He closed his eyes as the other teenager bent his head slightly and brushed a kiss against his cheek.

“Talk to you soon,” Draco murmured against his skin before he pulled back and walked away, leaving Harry alone in the silent corridor.

 _‘Please,’_ he thought as he watched the blond stride away, continuing his thought.  _‘Please let the potion work.’_

\------

As quick as they arrived, the O.W.L.s were over, fifth years staggering out of their respective final exams with glazed looks, mentally and magically drained.

Hermione and Ron wasted no time, their exhausted bodies cornering Harry.  It was a testament to how worried Hermione was that she didn’t even talk about how she did or whether she should’ve studied something more but rather focused her eyes immediately on Harry as soon as they all met up after their Charms practical.

“ _Now_ are you going talk?” Ron demanded.

 **::Nosy prick::** Qye muttered, tense and distracted.

**_::Please be nicer when you get out.::_ **

“Let’s sit down later tonight,” Harry said in an undertone, glancing around them.  All around them he saw the drained faces of their classmates.  “I just need to do something first and I’ll catch up with you at dinner.”  
  
“Harry,” Hermione began and stopped when he laid a hand on her arm.

“After dinner,” he said, looking back and forth at both of them.  “I promise.  Everything then.”

“Don’t think I won’t feed you a Canary Cream if I think you’re dodging us,” Ron warned, frowning as he shifted his school bag.

Harry gave him a faint smile, dropping his hand and taking a step back.  “Didn’t realize you were taking Hermione’s role of feeding me here, Ron.”

“Someone has to watch out for you if you won’t,” he grumbled.  “You’ve got the bloody survival instincts of a puffskein in a kneazle pen.”

Harry shrugged, grinning and hoping his nervousness didn’t show through.  “They’ve worked this far.  I’ll see you in a bit.”

He dashed off, leaving them with identical frowns on their worried faces.

\-----

It wasn’t bubbling anymore.

Harry looked warily at it, still and silver in its cauldron.  He could feel Qye in the back of his eyes, looking through just as apprehensively.

 **::Well…it looks right::** Qye said slowly.

Harry carefully began to ladle it into a vial.  In his bag, he had the container with iron ore embedded throughout which the potion mentioned as the strongest possible.  Instead of a specific memory, as the potion had been designed, he would be focusing on Qye as a whole and he didn’t want to take any more chances than necessary.

 ** _::Well…::_** he trailed off, staring at the clear vial. **_::Suppose this is it.::_**

Qye trembled.

He gathered his courage and threw back the contents of the vial.

There was a moment of nothing, followed by another and then an even longer one where he felt no different, felt Qye still and silent and separate in his mind.  The moments stretched so long that he could feel his disappointment growing, feel Qye’s frustration and desperation.

Without warning, his mind blurred and he knew nothing more as his body hit the ground.

\------

“Thank Merlin that’s done with,” said Seamus, collapsing onto the table.  “That…that was utter reaming bollocks, that’s what that was.”

“Charming,” Dean said wearily as he slumped down next to his friend.  “Just…utterly charming.”

“This is giving me a lot to look forward,” Ginny commented as she looked them over.  Parvati and Lavender were sitting down next to her, both with their eyes glazed over as their hands hovered their forks over their drinks.

“This is why you should take a page out of our notes, little sister,” Fred began.

“And consider other options,” George finished.  They both smirked over her.  “I’m sure we could find you a profitable career on the sales floor.”

“I’m just going to remind you that we’ll be going home soon so if you jinx them now, Mum’s going to remember it better,” Ron pointed out as he dropped in the seat next to Neville.

Ginny waved a careless hand as a few other Gryffindors let out small laughs.

“It’s so unfair that we still have our own exams to do,” Dennis Creevey grumbled.  “You lot are finished but we still have - ”

“Were we this unbelievable last year?” Seamus asked Dean incredulously.

“Last year was different,” Ron said flatly as he scanned the Great Hall.  He frowned as he caught Malfoy’s eyes, which darted next to him and then narrowed as they didn’t find their target.  He made a face and turned back to his table where he saw the rest of the Gryffindors eyeing him.

“What?” he scowled, stabbing at a roasted tomato.

“Cheerful thought there, mate,” Dean sighed.  His eyes glanced around.  “Where is Harry anyway?”

“He’ll be back,” Hermione sighed as Ron slowly chewed his food, blue eyes wandering through the room, towards the entrance where the students straggled through and the staff table where the teachers kept their heads up.  “Not much time to get into any serious trouble.”

\------

There was a terrible snarl, its sound low and reverberating through the trees.  The rustle of leaves and grass echoed faintly behind the raspy sound of the leash uncoiling.

One of the Death Eaters laughed, low and mean, as the leash was let loose.

“Fresh food,” a vampire drawled, lounging against a tree as the beast vampire dashed off, swiftly followed by the rest, straight for the castle.

\-----

Harry woke up, groggy.  The side of his face ached and he swallowed back nausea as he slowly lifted himself up on his hands.

His head felt odd, stretched and tender. 

“Qye?” he muttered, half-conscious of what he said.

**::I’m still here.::**

Harry closed his eyes at the quiet answer.

He kneeled there, swaying and empty with his terrible feelings echoing back at him.

He opened his eyes, vision blurry, and staggered up, bracing himself against the nearest wall.  **_::Now what?::_**

 **::Feels different::** Qye said softly, numbly. **::I think it did something, something…I don’t know.  I’m not sure.::** He gave a shuddering sigh. **::It didn’t work.::**

He took a deep breath and rubbed his face, doing his best to keep standing.  **_::Now…now we go get help, right?::_**

 **::Yeah::** Qye exhaled and Harry shivered as he felt that familiar brush against his mind.  He reached back and tentatively gave his own brush and closed his eyes as he felt the other clasp on, that familiar flicker of fear.

 ** _::It’ll be okay::_** he promised as he opened his eyes and stared down at the remains of the potion, the now useless container rolling on the stone floor.

 **::Yes::** Qye murmured.  He sighed and said wearily, **::Let’s get this over with.::**

Harry rubbed his head, glancing down the passage that led out.  **_::This is going to be fun.::_**

As he left the passage, numbly heading for the Great Hall, he didn’t see the figures following behind him.

\-----

“Today you tell him,” Marylin quietly said in their language as they sat at the head table.

Lest nodded, glancing around the Great Hall again and frowning when he still didn’t see the green-eyed teenager.  “I know.”

“Do you want me there?” she asked as he considered employing his Videte, his fingers drumming against the table.  She wasn’t much better, restlessly toying with her silverware as their food cooled.

He saw her glance over to where Dumbledore sat, speaking in low tones with Snape and McGonagall.  “Should we tell him now?  Or include him - ”

“Let me talk to Qye first,” he muttered, finally giving in and using his Videte to begin to scan.  If Harry wasn’t going to come to dinner and still seemed determined to avoid him, he was going to have to resort to some other method soon.

Marylin sighed heavily and picked up her fork.  He saw her glance over again at the Headmaster, frowning slightly.  “I wonder what has them - ”

Lest stiffened.

She turned, gaze sharpening.  “Lest, what’s - ”

She stiffened and he knew her senses felt it too as he shot up from his chair, tumbling it over as he pulled his Gemmus from his neck swiftly.

Both blue eyes snapped to the entrance.

The chattering of the Hall faltered, the students and staff shocked at the sudden action.

Marylin stood up next to him as he immediately broadened his Videte and brought down one, knocked out another.  Her voice carried, loud and careful, as she spoke, “Students to their dorms. _Now_.”

Screams came from near the entrance and a few students ran in, swiftly followed by an _incultus_ , snarling as it fought against Lest’s harsh strikes at its mind.  It streaked forward, teeth bared in its noseless face and hands reaching.

Chaos erupted as the students panicked, lurching in confusion away from the snarling beast, stumbling from the tables while the professors shouted and pulled out their wands.

Lest slammed the beast away from the students, tossing his hand to the side and knocking it unconscious against the wall.  Another pair of beasts tore through the doors, one catching a red blast of light against its chest from Professor Flitwick while another’s legs turned to stone from Professor McGonagall.  He threw himself over the table, feet dashing across the floor as he knocked down another beast, crushing its mind until it crumpled to the floor in front of one of now empty tables, frothing at the mouth.

Distantly, he heard the screams and shouts of confusion from the students as they pressed back from the entrance, huddled in masses while the teachers tried to reach in front of them.  Another beast dashed forward and Lest caught it in his grasp, his arm wrapping around its body as it tried to struggle free.

He snapped its neck effortlessly, ignoring the heightened screams, just in time to see another run past him.

It impacted against nothing ten feet in front of the students and fell to the floor, out cold from the force of Marylin’s shield.

“I can block them!” she shouted as she fought her way next to Lest, past the students and teachers, her blue eyes blazing as she kept her arm outstretched with her Gemmae clasped in her hand.  “I can block them, get the students back to their dorms!”

He embraced his Videte again and knew she was shielding the few stray students stuck in the corridor in the presence of the pack of _incultus_.  He reached out to their terrified minds and sent a suggestion of calm.

 _‘Relax,’_ he said as he dodged a scratch from a beast.  _‘Stay there.’_   He blocked another clawing attack with one arm, knocked the thing down with a sweep of a leg and blasted its mind to death before it fell to the floor.

His Videte still didn’t find Harry.

“Students to their dormitories,” he suddenly heard Dumbledore’s voice echoing through the Great Hall, through the corridors, vaguely in the distance to what he assumed was the entire castle.  “All students to their dormitories.  Advise a portrait if unable, assistance is on its way.”  His voice fell to normal volume as he strode to Lest, casting his own spell to render a beast immobile.  “Professor Opacre, please continue your shielding and enact what we discussed.  Professors, assist the students back to their Houses as rehearsed.  Minerva, Severus, if you could - ”

 _‘It’s not an attack,’_ Lest realized, jaw clenching as he looked at the remains of the single pack.  _‘It’s a lure.’_   He reached out and found traces of familiar minds, closed off to him in a shroud.

“They’re on the grounds,” Lest interrupted, stretching out as much as he could.  He tried to stifle his frustration that he could not see the entire castle but he knew where the trouble waited. 

His eyes narrowed and he stormed towards the doors leading to the corridors.  “Get the students out of the way.”

 _‘Block the way behind us, there are more beasts coming on the left,’_ he thought to Marylin as she kept her shield carefully around the students.  _‘Follow after us after you send the signal.  I’ll send the students we find back the same way.’_

In his enhanced vision, he saw the teachers and proctors try to sort the students as a few other adults joined Dumbledore striding behind him.  He briefly felt the fear from Harry’s friends, felt their frustration at being blocked from leaving by one of the professors, heard Marylin whisper a quick reassurance before she followed Lest’s instructions.

There was suddenly a great stillness and he paused, turning to look as a low green light streamed through the high windows of the Great Hall.

The crowd looked up and saw the Dark Mark shining outside.

Lest took a slow breath before whirling around and heading towards the grounds.

His only hope was that Harry remained safe inside.

\-----

There was a faint rattling sound.

Saira Latvian frowned and looked up from the latest maps of Dazain sightings in Lille, France.

It came from the filing cabinet next to her desk and her frown deepened as she slowly made her way over, trying to think of what could possibly –

She stopped a foot away and her violet eyes stared hard at the top drawer, the one which contained cards from various vampire businesses, the take out menus from friendly eateries and the false bottom with the one object she had put away last year at the request of the Pater Nosferatu and his sister.

She roughly pulled open the drawer and revealed the hidden compartment, her frown turning into a snarl as she recognized the simple wind up watch now wildly rattling as its hands spun around to indicate its message.

“Leon!” she shouted as she dashed for her weapons, mind already racing and ready for a fight.  “Leon, your portkey!  Hastai, move your blasted arse!”

She felt a flicker of telepathic confusion and shock from the Head of the Hastai vampires as he found his own signal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: "Attack - Part II" - An end and beginning.


	31. Attack - Part II

One of the first years screamed as Professor Sprout blasted away another one of the rampaging monsters, its clawed hands coming dangerously close to her.

“Stay together now!” the Herbology teacher shouted over the rising panic as she brandished her wand, frowning at the beast now entangled in growing vines.  “Come now, stay together!”

“Bloody hell!” Ron swore as the beast lashed out in its bindings, sending more students shouting and pushing him further away from the direction where Dumbledore and the others had gone.  He gritted his teeth and pushed back, his hand firmly holding Hermione’s as they made yet another attempt to slip past.

“Ron,” Hermione said urgently to him as he used his taller frame to look for the best route.  “Ron, the Point Me spell said - ”

“We’re going to find him,” Ron whispered furiously back as the professors slowly guided the mass of students out of the Great Hall and began to separate them by House.  He watched as the vines finally engulfed the beast and pinned it the wall, where its smothered snarls had students flinching as they tried to stay away.

He saw the Hufflepuffs, led by Professor Sprout, move their way towards the stairs and saw the chance to slip around them.  He tightened his hold on Hermione and made sure no one was looking as he edged towards them.

“Ron, look out!”

He turned in time to see another beast come sliding around a corner and fumbled with his wand.  He took a step back and the beast crouched and leapt, its cheeks red and mouth wide –

Hermione’s blue flames sent it screaming back.

It staggered, howling, its shrieks matching those of the younger students.  In the corner of his eye, he saw Sprout struggle towards them as it snarled and flailed and reached for them.  He shifted his feet and as it took another step, he snapped out, “ _Reducto_!”

Its head cracked against the wall and it slid down, still and burning.

Behind him, he heard Hermione let out a ragged breath.

“Hold on,” he mumbled, turning to look at her pale face while he fought back his own nerves.  “They’re - ”

“Weasley!” shouted Professor Sinistra and he didn’t have time to blink before he felt claws tearing through his robes, dragging him to the floor.

He heard Hermione yell and briefly saw her brandish her wand at another beast, stumbling back as it swiped at her, before the beast atop him snapped at his face, blocked by his forearm.

Ron winced as its teeth tore through his clothes, scratching his skin and sending it into a further frenzy as it touched his blood.  He gasped and kicked and blocked with one arm, fingers scrabbling for his knocked aside wand.  He heard Sinistra shouting spells and saw more beasts come down the corridor.

 _“Expelliarmus!”_ Ron dimly heard Seamus yell, followed by Dean.

The beast grunted as the red lights bounced off its side, bared its teeth and clawed deeper into his robes, snapped harder, its wide eyes fixated on his neck.  Behind it, he could glimpse Hermione desperately fighting off her own, Ginny hurling her own hexes while the professors and proctors pushed and pulled students back.

The _incultus_ reared back as Ron’s fingers faintly touched his wand and he knew he wouldn’t reach it in time.

_“Solis scutum!”_

Ron blinked as a shimmer of light cut through the beast above him, a sickly charred smell invading his nostrils as he shoved the thing to scramble away.  His heart pounded while his hand grew tight on his wand.

The beast’s legs twitched but did nothing more, torn from its torso.

Something grabbed his shoulder and he instinctively moved his wand, mouth forming a fire spell before he recognized the pale face and hair.

“Where is he?” Malfoy said lowly as he roughly pulled the redhead up.

“Where do you think?” Ron managed to snap back as he shook him off, adrenaline coursing through him.  He saw Hermione and his sister pulled back into the group of students as Sinistra put down another beast.  He met Hermione’s worried eyes and saw her glance over to Malfoy next to him.  “Probably right in the thick of this, as always.”

“Damn it, Harry,” he heard the Slytherin mutter and fought the urge to agree as he eyed the remaining two beasts, growling and standing in the way between them and the group.

“Weasley, Malfoy, stay there!” Sinistra called out as she and the Muggle Studies  professor aimed their wands at the vampires.  “We’ll - ”

There was a popping sound.

Ron stared with the rest at the two figures next to each beast.  One was tall with long arms bare except for the wristbands with spikes.  The other was a large mass of power, cracking her neck as she coolly surveyed the silent, wide eyed crowd.

They were both clearly vampires.

“The Dark Lord wasn’t lying about tying the portkeys with the beasts,” hummed the man as he twisted the spiked wristbands.

“Suppose we should keep our end then, shouldn’t we?” the woman said in a bored voice.  “Although why it matters to him that we take out children, I’ll never know.”

“Mayhem, mayhem, let it rain,” snorted the man.  “I wonder if the others got as lucky as us.”  He took a step towards the students and chuckled as the professors raised their wands.

“You will not touch these students,” Professor Sinistra said coldly, raising her own tall frame to match the vampire.

“How brave,” mocked the vampire as he took another step.  “How completely and utterly - ”

“ _Incendio_!”

“ _Sectumsempra_!”

The male vampire hissed and barely dodged Ron’s burst of flame, whirling around as his companion bellowed and clutched her leg, blood streaming from Malfoy’s spell.  She flung her free arm out and Malfoy dodged as Ron threw a shield charm in time to block a tossed suit of armor. 

“You fucking - ” the woman’s insult was cut off as she was simultaneously blasted by the adults, grunting as she hit the floor.  She waved her hand and there were renewed shouts of fear from the students as Professor Sinistra gurgled, hands clasping at her throat.  Hermione pushed forward, muttering something under her breath to help the Astonomy teacher while the Muggle Studies teacher flicked her wand defensively against the female vampire’s telekinetic use of armor pieces.

“I got them, Callie!” snapped the man as he straightened and stalked towards them.  Ron immediately averted his eyes and started shifting his feet as he backed away.

“Oh, look, some novice Venators,” the man said contemptuously.  “You’re hardly the Nosle Kids, give this up.”

From the corner of his eye, Ron saw Malfoy slip something out of his pocket.  He caught his gaze, saw him flicker over to the vampire and instinctively started shifting closer.

“Why don’t you two slit your throats and save us all the waste of time?” the man sneered as he raised his spiked arm, his cold green eyes trying to catch Ron’s.  “Callie’s going to decimate your teachers soon enough, you don’t want her attention any more - ”

“ _Aguamenti_!” Ron suddenly shouted and the vampire jerked back at the jet of water.

The vampire glanced down and snorted.  “Water?  Let me guess, you think by making this holy water - ”

“ _Depulso_!”

The vampire jerked his head up in time to see Malfoy’s vial crash against his face.

He screamed and clawed his face as the metallic substance clung to his skin, stumbling into the wall.  Ron watched as he frantically tried to use his wrist bands to tear its expanding form off, falling to his knees as it continued to spread.  It covered his eyes, his nose and finally his mouth as his screams turned muffled.

Ron looked away and saw Malfoy’s merciless gaze on the vampire.  Silver eyes met his and he took in a deep breath, turning back to the remaining vampire.

She was looking at them from the corner of her eye as her other hand kept flicking armor at the students and the Muggle Studies teacher desperately tried to keep up.  Professor Sinistra lay unconscious as Hermione crouched over her, whispering something fervently as she helped deflect what the remaining teacher couldn’t.  He heard Professor Sprout shouting spells, saw the other adults darting to cover the other corridors, heard hisses of what could only be more beasts.

There was a vicious cross of a snarl and a smile on the female vampire’s face.

“You’ve won nothing, wizards,” she hissed.

In the distance, he heard guttural snarls coming closer, accompanied by low voices in an unfamiliar language.

 _‘You best be in a better place than this, Harry,_ ’ Ron thought as he grimly raised his wand and started shifting his feet.

\-----

Lest felt every moment as the group hurried to the grounds, not fast enough, senses flooding as he searched and eliminated one beast after another while the wizards sent stray students towards safety.  The moment he stepped out into the open air, he froze as he recognized the familiar presence.

“Surprised, Opacre?” a well-known voice asked.

Lest whirled around and met Alexis Dazain’s distant, inquisitive eyes.

Rage burned through him as he raised his Gemmus and struck at the mind of the Head of the Dazains.

Dazain blocked it, his mind slipping as usual, and flicked his hand with an attack of his own, slick and silent and as disconcerting as ever in its utter lack of feeling.

“Why are you here?” Lest snarled, forgetting his Videte and concentrating his strength, planning to finally eliminate the bastard.  He barely noticed the other Dazains scattered around, keeping their distance while the wizards behind Lest held their wands at the ready.

Dazain shrugged, carefully walking in front of his own group of vampires as he watched Lest.

“You have your new allies.  I have mine.”

There was a series of _pops_ and Lest didn’t need to feel the sudden tension of fear and anger as a new group of people appeared next to the Dazains to know exactly who they were.

“Headmaster,” the Dark Lord he heard so much about said mockingly as the Death Eaters spread out, their masked faces at contrast with the open, disdainful ones of the Dazain vampires.  Lest felt a slow roll of anger as he eyed the wizard who had brought so much misery to Harry, his features twisted and barely reminiscent of anything human.  “How long it has been.”

In the background, he felt Marylin coming up, flicking her shield carefully around the Hogwarts witches and wizards.  He carefully extended his mental shields over them, narrowed eyes tracking Dazain as he paced relaxed next to the wizard who looked more like an _incultus_ than anything else.

“Leave, Tom,” Dumbledore said calmly, steel beneath his careful words.  “There is no win here.”  Behind him, Lest could hear the rumbling of the castle’s protections.  He sent a probe to his sister and she swiftly answered, hiding as much as she could in case Dazain caught on.

“Ah, but I heard that you welcomed your own guests of blood,” Voldemort said.  The _incultus_ vampires snarled, leashes lazily held by the Dazain vampires and straining to reach the promise of fresh blood.  The red eyes glimmered cruelly above the twist of his smile.  “I assumed you would not turn away my own for a bite.”

Marylin moved closer and contemptuously said, “You must be such fools to think you can win over all of us, especially you, Dazain.”  He felt his sister’s own anger at the sight of the vampire in front of them.  Despite his unassuming stance, they both knew this particular monster well.  “Why come with such bad odds?”

Dazain tilted his head and cocked his fingers.

Lest’s blood ran cold as he felt a flicker of a new presence on his peripheral.

From the side, from a far away entrance, he could hear a sudden scrambling and into view Harry came, a vampire’s hand on his mouth while his other arm locked Harry’s arms behind him as a masked wizard held his wand on him.  His green eyes were wide and confused as he stumbled over the grass.

Voldemort stepped closer to Dazain, bringing out his own wand.  “I would say the odds are better now.”

\------

“Bloody hell!” Ron shouted as he dodged another swipe from the clawed hands of a beast.  It lunged forward and tried to grab at his knees, to pull him down as the one before him.

“Do you damn well say anything else?!” Malfoy snapped as he slipped around a vampire who threw a punch at him and broke another wall, sending old stone crumbling down.  The vampire pulled his arm out and flicked his fingers at Malfoy, who grimaced and shook his head before snarling and throwing a Cutting Curse at him.

“I’ll bloody well say whatever the bloody hell I want, you utter prat!” Ron snarled as he kicked away the beast and blasted it with a stunner, which seemed a lot more useful against its kind instead of the other ones.  It collapsed against the floor twitching and the redhead barely had a break to catch his breath before something violently assaulted his mind.

Ron gasped as he staggered and clutched his head, squeezing his eyes shut as a vampire hissed in his mind, violently rooting around.  ‘ _Get down, get down, accept your death already!’_

 _‘Piss off!_ ’ he thought furiously back.

_‘We’re going to kill you all, I’ll get your sister last so she can - ’_

The voice in his head cut off and he heard a cry of pain, opened his eyes in time to see Ernie MacMillian slam his fist into a vampire’s face as Neville nervously muttered a spell, vines similar to Professor Sprout’s erupting from his wand to envelop the dazed vampire.

“Do you suppose they’ll take this into consideration when grading O.W.L.s?” Justin Finch-Fletchley panted as he blasted the vampire in the back with a Blasting Charm and knocked it unconscious.  “I mean, this has to count for something, right?”

Before Ron could respond, he heard Hermione shouting from the other end of the corridor, where she had been setting up defensive charms for the unconscious teachers and proctors as well as the younger students.  Her blue flames burned brightly, deterring the beasts from straying too close when they got past the others.

“Three more are heading from the east corridor!” she shouted, her wand never ceasing in casting her charms, in deflecting attacks as she tried her best to support them.

The students who realized screaming and trying to run off was _not_ an answer had stepped forward and thrown whatever they could at the waves of beasts.  Ron had seen the twins and Lee Jordan take another corridor with their pranking materials, Ginny helping Hermione with stunners on beasts and Hagrid with the 7 th years holding off yet another corridor that teemed with beast vampires.  They all tried to leave the trained vampires to the adults, who struggled to shield the students the best they could behind the defenses Professor Opacre had left behind for them while their numbers dwindled beneath physical and telepathic attacks.

Needless to say, Ron unfortunately found himself stuck by Malfoy’s side as they took on a few of the less telepathically inclined when the other vampires came, gritting his teeth as each one kept him from looking for Harry.  Judging from the more vicious spells Malfoy was casting – one leaving a vampire choking as a Cutting Curse tore through his throat – the Slytherin shared the redhead’s frustration.

“We’re not going to be able to do this much longer,” Terry Boot gasped, holding up a winded Hannah Abbot.  “We have to move back.”

“Open to suggestions here,” Blaise Zabini muttered as he cast a shimmering spell across the corridor and forcing the vampires back again.  The first vampires that had crossed it had immediately lost their focus and began attacking their comrades before they had shaken out of it a few minutes later.  They had since been wary every time he cast it and it gave them all a brief moment of rest as they sent injured and exhausted back to the defended group and regained their strength.  His face was strained and he swayed on his feet.  “I think I’ve only got one or two more of Mother’s dazzlers before I’m done.  And unless Granger’s managed to dig her way through that wall, I think we’re truly and well fucked here.”

“If you say you have two more in, I know damn well you have ten left, Blaise,” Malfoy said, straightening from where he bound the last vampire on their side of the field and looked around, feet never settling despite the cuts across his body.  He had been one of the first to discard his robes, his dwindling number of vials in the pockets of his pants.

“It’s just three more,” Ron coughed, straightening up and continuing to shift his tired feet.  “Three more and then we’ll have the professors - ”

“No,” a new voice cut through from down the corridor.  “No, I do believe your friend had it right.”

Ron turned around and saw the group of a dozen vampires at the other end of Zabini’s spell.  A few held leashes to fresh beasts and he didn’t need to see the sadistic smiles on their faces to know more were coming.

“Put up your spell, magic boy,” a vampire said lazily as the others waited patiently behind the shimmer, eyes trying to connect.  He saw Ernie grunt and stumble, saw Malfoy sharply flick his wand at him to shake him loose of the telepathic attack as he had done so many times before.  “We’ll be through soon enough.”

\------

There was a rattling sound as a ring tapped across a windowsill in Copenhagen.  A hand picked up a long pole.

Something whirled on a bookshelf in Seville as a pair of boots was tugged on.

In Liverpool, a jar shook and almost fell next to the buzzing portkey.  It tumbled over and its contents were caught in a pouch, tied onto a belt.

Dublin and Antwerp, Zurich and Rotterdam, Cologne and Oslo.

The Pater Nosferatu had a signal.  More importantly, Myn Opacre had called.

\-----

Harry stood on the edge of the group of Dazain vampires and Death Eaters.  He struggled fruitlessly in the vampire’s hold as a wizard with a silver hand held a trembling wand on him.  His green eyes kept darting between the groups, a slight bruise on the side of his face from what must have been a blow to catch him.

Marylin never knew how deep her anger could go until then.  She could only imagine what Lest’s rage must feel like, traces of his fury echoing along the mental shield he had around her to protect her from Dazain’s abilities.

She could see the white knuckled grasp on his Gemmus as he hissed, voice dark and terrible, “Let him go.”

“Why so interested, Opacre?” Dazain inquired, his head tilting slightly, brown bangs brushing his sleepy black eyes.  Marylin flinched and avoided the idle gaze, careful not to give any advantage to the man.  Despite being only a couple of years younger than her, she knew all too well his telepathic strength that rivaled her brother’s.

Dumbledore moved forward, his powerful voice grimly crossing to Voldemort.  “If Harry is injured you will not leave well, Tom.”

Voldemort laughed, high pitched and cold.  “Death is hardly enough for the boy, don’t you think?  Clearly it does not agree with him after so many attempts.”  He turned to Harry and Marylin caught a glimpse of fear and anger in Harry’s eyes as the vampire pushed him closer.

The dark wizard smirked as he walked closer, lazily waving his wand at the teenager as the vampire forced Harry to a stop a few feet away from him.  “You were so gracious to spare my new friends the trouble of looking for you, Harry.  Although,” Voldemort said, carelessly waving a hand towards the castle, “I’m sure they’ll still enjoy taking in all Hogwarts has to offer.”  He smiled maliciously as he took another step closer.  “Tell me.  Did you want to live to see your friends die or die knowing your friends will suffer?”

She saw Harry go still, a strange expression crossing his face as though seeing the wizard in front of him for the first time.  His gaze seem to alternate between focused and distant and she couldn’t check his emotions, his thoughts, for fear of leaving an opening for telepathic assault.

Voldemort idly waved a hand and she saw the faint grimace on the Dazain vampire’s face as he lowered his hand from Harry’s mouth.  “Well, Harry?”

The teenager said nothing, merely continued to stare at the man in front of him.

Voldemort chuckled.  “Is this the best of your so-called courage now?”  A mocking smile came upon his thin lips.  “If the wizarding world could only see their beloved savior as he stands in fear of true power - ”

“I’m not afraid of you.”

Harry’s voice cut swift and flat through the grounds, clear for all to hear.

The smile faded from Voldemort’s face, swept away by a brief expression of anger before the mocking look returned.  “Trying to pretend, Harry?  How much like your father right before I killed him.”  He chuckled as light, mean laughter floated amongst his Death Eaters.

Marylin squeezed her nails into the palms of her hand, breathing shallowly as Lest turned so still next to her.

Voldemort continued to chuckle as he turned to a dispassionate Dazain, gesturing to Harry who’s face continued to wear the strange, unfocused expression.  “As you see, our worlds share such similar weaknesses, placing their faith in something truly quite pathetic - ”

“As pathetic as a supposedly strong wizard afraid of an infant?” Harry suddenly said in a vicious voice.

Marylin blinked, startled by the unfamiliar tone voice.  Lest frowned as Dumbledore took another step forward.

Dazain slowly turned to look at the suddenly grimacing Harry, a considering look growing on his face as the expression of rage once again crossed Voldemort’s face.  The vampire holding Harry roughly jerked him, making Harry grunt and Lest twitch as Voldemort slowly turned back around to the teenager.

“Poor Harry,” Voldemort breathed, raising his wand.  “You would think you would have learned your lesson after last year.”  He glanced towards their group, a cruel smile growing.  “Would you like to see how your brave student fared the Cruciatus Curse, Dumbledore?”

“You will not harm the boy, Tom,” warned Dumbledore and Marylin had never heard such a cold voice from the Headmaster, so different from the wizard she had seen all year, warm and welcoming with twinkling eyes.  “Let him go and leave while you still have a chance.

“I think you still don’t realize - ” began Voldemort, grip tightening on his wand.

“A moment, if you would,” Dazain suddenly said, sliding past the astonished wizard.  He stopped a few feet in front of Harry, who leaned away, expression wary.

Lest jerked and took another step forward, his breath rapid enough for her to hear.

Marylin swallowed, her heart suddenly racing at the interested look on the normally disinterested vampire.

 _‘No,’_ she trembled.  ‘ _No, no, pay him no mind, no.’_

“This is the same one you had in your mind a few months ago, isn’t he?” Dazain said absently, his gaze searching Harry’s as the teenager uncomfortably shifted.  “The one who slipped me?”

Harry froze.

She did not need to use her senses to know fear filled him as he stiffened and abruptly avoided the vampire’s eyes.

“Trying to hide?” Dazain sighed, lifting a hand to rub at his temple.  “What are you hiding that Opacre is so - ”

_“I said leave him alone!”_

The vampires and Death Eaters stirred and even the Hogwarts wizards shifted uncomfortably as Lest snarled again, his power fluctuating around them, a heavy press against their minds, an unnerving flex against their skin.

“Lest,” Dumbledore said in a low voice, taking a step towards the vampire, a heavy frown on his face as Marylin shifted uncomfortably, too aware of Snape’s sharp, suspicious response next to her.

Dazain did not move, continued to observe Harry as the teenager’s eyes flickered towards Lest, Marylin catching sight of something quick across his face before Harry gritted his teeth and looked away.

“Who are you?” asked Dazain softly, gaze fascinated.  “Who is in there?”

Harry’s head jerked up and his eyes widened.

“This is my victory,” snapped Voldemort, striding back towards Harry and Dazain, roughly intercepting them and breaking the contact.  “My conquest and I will not let you or anyone stand from ridding myself of this troublesome pest anymore!  He is insignificant, unworthy, a mistake - ”

The teenager stared silently at the wizard and Marylin swallowed, feeling her brother’s tension, wondering when to rush in, what to do when so much was unknown and –

Harry took a deep breath and spat at Voldemort.

There was silence around.

In her stunned disbelief, she watched Harry’s green eyes glare, his lips pulled back in contempt.

Voldemort stepped back, violence etched in every movement.

“Hold him,” he said, near silent at the vampire who indifferently tightened his grasp.

Lest stepped forward but stopped as the vampire squeezed Harry’s throat, smirking as he looked at Dazain who attentively watched, eyes flicking occasionally to Lest.  Lest froze and bared his teeth, trembling with restrained wrath.

Myn stood, fearful, her eyes wide as she tried to think of what to do, what she could do, what was safe and best to protect this dear boy, how to not let them know exactly how much he meant -

Voldemort held up his wand and murmured something, the tip glowing.

“Tom!” she heard Dumbledore call out warningly, saw him raise his wand.

‘ _Too late,_ ’ she thought, frozen as she watched the spell grow.

\-----

“Too late!” laughed one of the vampires as he danced around a Stinging Hex and kicked Ron in the back, sending him sprawling.  “Is this the best magic can offer?” he taunted as he sent another kick, straight into the teenager’s ribs and forcing a cry of pain.

Ron panted, curled up and grimacing as he forced himself to move back, fought the urge to glare at the vampire’s face, which was exactly what he wanted, the same way he had knocked Justin and Ernie unconscious.

“ _Expelliarmus!”_ he heard Dean shout and the vampire shifted back, rocking on his heels with his teeth bared viciously.  Seamus grabbed his arm and started dragging him back to the group where they had steadily been retreating since Blaise’s spell had fallen.

Once it had gone down, the vampires had wasted no time in targeting him as the source and Ron could still remember the Slytherin’s screams from what must have been a painful telepathic assault before Malfoy had knocked him unconscious to spare him.  Terry and Hannah had dragged him back next to Ernie and Justin, their spells faltering as their already tired bodies began to give out.

Ron scrambled himself up to his feet in time to see a weary but still fighting Professor Sprout move forward to swarm the vampires with a spell of pollen that had them hissing.  She was one of the few remaining adults still conscious, the rest spread thinly around the group at each corridor.

He looked over and swallowed as he realized Blaise might have had a point, their exits blocked and the vampires steady on.

There was a cry and he whipped his head around to see Sprout stumble back, wincing as she clutched her bleeding wand arm.

A vampire woman smirked and lifted her blade again at the older woman.

A familiar burst of bright light flashed up and the vampire hissed as her blade hit the sunlight shield, wincing and rocking back as Neville pulled the teacher back, fumbling to conjure more vines.

“I’m down to my last two vials,” Malfoy panted as he stepped in front of Ron, his wand held steady.  “I can’t believe I’m saying this but any bright ideas, Weasley?”

“I’ve got nothing,” Ron said in an undertone, too tired to bicker as they slowly made their way back to the group.  “Hermione’s flames are independent but I don’t think they’ll stop them for long and they do nothing against their telepathy.”

He saw Malfoy look at him from the corner of his eye.  “Famous Gryffindor bravery giving up at last?” 

Ron narrowed his eyes and stiffened his aching body, raising his wand.  “Screw you, Malfoy.  I’m saying we take as many down as we can before they get there.”

“How sweet,” he heard a vampire laugh.  Ron gritted his teeth and stopped shifting back, listening to Seamus mumble prayers while Dean took Ron’s other side.

“You should think a little highly of yourselves, I suppose,” drawled another, sauntering closer as Malfoy’s shield dissipated.  “Mere children making such nuisances of themselves.”  He saw him glance over at Sprout, leaning heavily on Neville and still trying to hold onto her wand.  “How proud you must be of them.”

“Clearly,” the stout woman said shortly, lifting her wand.  “Despite all your attempts, all of Hogwarts’ students are still alive and protected.  While there is breath left in us, we will fight for them.”

“Bet they taste sweet,” murmured a female vampire, flicking her hand and making the woman wince.  “How about we leave you last so we can tell you?”

“You will not touch them!” snapped the Herbology professor, straightening up.

“You like that one, right?” smirked the vampire.  “Think he’s such a good boy, such a green thumb?”  Her eyes gleamed.  “Let’s see how deep that green goes.”

Another flick of her hand and Sprout grunted as she was forced from Neville, who struggled against an invisible force.

Ron’s eyes widened in horror and he blasted a fire spell, blocked by one of the other vampires as the woman darted for his friend.  Seamus and Dean’s spells were likewise blocked by the vampires charging forward, Malfoy’s sunlight shield was intercepted by a beast and the woman raised her blade above Neville, petrified and staring, pale and wide eyed.

 _Something_ hit the woman’s hand and she screamed at the audible crack, blade falling to the floor.

Something fell to the floor, _bounced_ , and ricocheted into the vampire’s face, a loud thud as the woman crumpled to the floor.

“What the - ” said one of the vampires and then there were shouts as they were all pushed back, an unseen force knocking them to their backs.

“ – bloody hell?” Ron heard Seamus finish weakly as the redhead blinked in confusion.

Neville staggered as he was released from the telekinetic hold and Dean snapped out of it, rushing forward to grab his friend and pull him back.

One of the vampires rebounded, lifting themselves up quickly and diving for the distracted Gryffindors.  Ron drew strength for another fire spell.

There was a blur and suddenly the vampire collided roughly with a wall, knocked unconscious.

“Your school is big,” an accented voice told him.

He blinked.  A small girl – no, a teenager? – stood in front of him, cracking her knuckles as she shifted her feet.  Her black hair was done in a short ponytail and he noticed an armband high on her bicep as she lifted her fists up.

“It’s why I told you to wait for one of the telepaths, Reya,” another voice, differently accented this time, called out from behind the group of enemy vampires.

He heard the girl mutter something in a different language in front of him and gaped as the vampires warily took a step back, faces twisting in anger.

“You,” one of the vampires said flatly.  “You are _not_ suppose to be here.”

One of armor suits trembled and slowly lifted up.  Ron and the others flinched, warily taking a step back but instead of launching themselves towards them, the suits slowly rotated to face the vampires.

“Neither are you,” a male voice drawled and Ron jerked as another person appeared next to Reya, a little older but no more than Percy.  He wore the same armband as the girl, threads of red and blue and silver on black.

“You,” he heard Professor Sprout cough from where she stood next to Neville, who had returned to assist her despite his shaken look.  “You’re the ones Professor Opacre - ” 

The young man turned around and briefly saluted as the girl Reya slowly advanced towards the now wary group of vampires.  “Sorry we were late.  We had to clear that large dining room and send others to sweep the floors.  The other teams have collected the remaining students and staff and are on the way so you can send us to our…Houses?”  The young man’s brow furrowed slightly before he shrugged.  “We’ve also secured the Infirmary so once we finish here - ”

“But you’re children,” Professor Sprout blurted out, blinking in shock.  “You’re - ”

“We’re not children,” Reya, the young girl – except she had to be older, he saw that in her face now despite being no taller than a first year – said as the vampires slowly spread themselves out.  Ron could see others behind them, one bouncing something in her hand, another so large he could almost reach Hagrid.

Ron saw a flash of bared teeth.

“We’re Nosle Kids,” the young male vampire said as Reya charged forward and the two groups of vampires began to fight.

His eyes widened and he turned to look at Malfoy –

\- and jerked as he realized the Slytherin was gone.

\------

Marylin saw, as if in a slow trance, the spell grow, saw Voldemort’s wand lift as she heard Dumbledore shout and Lest step forward all the while Harry stared defiantly back.

Voldemort’s wand jerked, the spell distorting and shooting off.

Everything happened quickly.

She felt the presence of Saira and Leon come into focus, dropping Leon’s stealth shielding from behind the Dazains.  She became aware of a few Nosle Kids dashing through the trees, searching for the Dazain vampires hanging back as they always did.  She knew it was Irene, her star student, who had pulled the wand as the young woman sent a brief sense of support before focusing on the battle in the surrounding area.

The vampire let go of Harry, stumbling to try to avoid getting hit by the errant spell.  In the next instant, a familiar long spear pierced his shoulder and he snarled as he stumbled forward.

There was a flicker from Lest and she knew he was instructing his protégé to guard Harry.

Harry stumbled away from them and ran into the Death Eater who held the wand on him.  The silver hand jerked him around and a snarl appeared on Harry’s face as threw himself at the Death Eater. 

She heard Voldemort curse, watched him move behind his Death Eaters as the teachers unleashed a work of spells, fire and lights clashing with the dark wizards’ magic.  The Dazain vampires had straightened in attention and whirled around in time as Saira threw her knives before colliding with them, arms and legs swift, calculated to break and twist and kill while Leon unsheathed his sword and blocked the weapons concealed by the Dazain vampires.

Lest killed the _incultus_ with a blast of telekinesis and she joined him as he dashed forward towards Harry, instantly blocked by Dazain who appeared in front of him, a faint look of interest on his typically neutral face.

“Looks like this won’t be so easy after all, will it?” Dazain said, slowly twisting his sapphire Gemmus in his hand.

Marylin clenched her fists.

Lest snarled.

\----

**::This is fucking madness!::**

**_::Next time, don’t spit at him!::_ **

**::You’re the one who kept glaring at him!::**

**_::He insulted our dad!::_ **

**::You said you weren’t afraid!::**

**_::Pay attention, damn it!::_ **

Harry dodged another curse from Wormtail – because it had to be Wormtail with his silver hand and how it enraged him, him and Qye, as he woke up bound and confused and found a wand aimed at him, held by the man who betrayed James and Lily Potter and sent Sirius Black to Azkaban – and tried to grab his wand from where the Death Eater had tucked it in his robe.

The vampire had seemed surprised by how he almost broke free when he quickly woke up from being knocked out, Qye shouting Harry to alertness.  Seeing Wormtail, the man who helped send him to the Dursleys, sent Harry pushed back as Qye clawed for the traitor before Harry regained control to grab his wand.  By then, the vampire had secured him and Harry struggled, trying to break free as the nervous man had shakily tucked it into his pocket, mumbling that he shouldn’t struggle.

Then he was being dragged, the shock of seeing Voldemort standing with Death Eaters on the grounds of Hogwarts, seeing vampires standing there as well, seeing Dumbledore and Professor Opacre and Lest and –

And then he was in front of the wizard who killed his parents, killed Cedric Diggory just last year.  Listening to him taunt and insult as Qye reeled from meeting their parents’ killer.

Then there had been the vampire.  Dazain. 

Watching him with searching black eyes all the while his head was killing him from Qye’s anger and Voldemort’s closeness, something trying to pry inside his head and then Voldemort had been there and after everything, the memories and fights and _vampires_ , the Dark Lord hardly seemed important even while pointing his wand at him.

He didn’t question when it was jerked away and he was suddenly free.  All he knew was that he did not want to be here, in this confusing and dangerous mess, any longer.

Harry threw his elbow into Wormtail’s chest, his face tight with anger and desperation, ducking and turning with all the quick skills he had as a Seeker.

“Just surrender, Harry!” squeaked the man as he stumbled and fumbled with his wand.  “Make this easier for yourself!”

He felt Qye’s anger, his rage, and did not fight as he felt the strangeness in his body, a distance.

“You were lucky,” his voice spoke, low and hard and cold.  “Harry spared you.  I would’ve let Black and Lupin kill you.”

Wormtail’s grip on his wand faltered, uncertain.  Harry felt his hand curl into a fist and threw with all its strength straight at the masked face of a traitor.  For a moment, there was no distance, no strangeness, just the knowledge that both Qye and he wanted this.

 **::Increased strength::** he heard Qye mutter just as he watched the man crash into the ground, sprawled and still.  **::Would fucking love to know how that works.::**

 ** _::Later::_** Harry said distractedly as he took control again, stumbled forward and crouched, shifting through his pockets to look for his wand.  **_::Later, as soon as we’re out of this.::_**

**::This is just bloody – Harry!::**

His head jerked up in time to see something horribly familiar bounding towards him, his eyes widening as he recognized it from a vision not so long ago, the twisted face and bloody mouth.

It snarled, leapt and was instantly impaled by a spear.

Harry blinked as he stumbled back, blinking again as someone suddenly appeared next to the now dead creature, swiftly removing the long weapon.  He took another step back, wand automatically raised as they turned around.

It was a young man, only a few years older with red-brown hair and black eyes that looked calmly at him.

“Lest said I should guide you out,” the young man said, his voice carrying a faint foreign accent as he took a step forward.  Harry stiffened as he caught the flash of fanged teeth.  “If you would - ”

“I don’t think so, Asger!”

Harry stumbled back as the ground between him and young man erupted, flinging his arms up to cover his face from the flying debris.  He coughed as the dust swirled and squinted as his back came against a tree, blinking rapidly.

“Tough luck, boy,” a voice floated through the dust and he coughed again, blinking as it began to settle.  “We still have you.”

 **::I am _sick_ of vampires::** Qye hissed in Harry’s mind as the air cleared and Harry narrowly stared at the male vampire in front of him, blocking him from the other who was now fending off three other vampires, kicks and punches and one armed with what looked a chain.

“So much trouble for such a dismal looking boy,” the vampire said curiously, eyeing him with obvious disdain.  “You hardly seem worth the effort to keep alive.”  He snorted and started walking towards him.  “Why - ”

_“Reducto!”_

The vampire’s eyes widened right before the spell impacted his chest and blasted him away, Harry’s wand held steady and eyes focused at him.

 ** _::That makes two of us.::_** Harry thought grimly back as he shifted along the tree, eyes glancing around to see where to go.

The teachers were dueling the Death Eaters, he saw Dumbledore’s magic clashing violently with what must have been Voldemort’s, fire and ice and lightning mixed with spells where he didn’t know where one began and another ended. 

He saw vampires dodging and punching, swirling around swiftly, one with a sword that blocked strikes and a woman sliding between groups and leaving bodies crumpled on the floor.

Then there was Lest and Professor Opacre, darting and lunging, kicking and throwing swift punches with a man who dodged them seemingly effortlessly.  Lest kept flicking his hands out and Professor Opacre held her hand out between them every time the man swept towards them, making him dance back.  They were silent and quick but their faces were tight and focused on something beyond their physical attacks.

 **::Harry::** Qye said uncertainly as Harry hesitated.  **::Just…::**

He hesitated too long.

In a blink, Harry felt his air cut off and pain in his back as he was shoved unmercifully against the tree.

“That,” the vampire man said tightly, dark brown eyes staring menacingly as Harry choked and tried to pry the hand off his throat, “was unwise.”

 **::Harry!::** Qye cried out and Harry’s vision blurred as the hand tightened, his hands clenching and clawing while the feeling in his legs grew distant and he became aware of them trying to kick the vampire off.

“Stupid boy,” the vampire snarled, dropping his hand and leaving Harry gasping, wheezing as he moved back.  “They wanted you alive but you hardly need your mind for that.”

Harry coughed, held himself up by the tree and looked up as the vampire stared contemptuously at him.

He heard the sounds of fighting echoing through the grounds as the vampire stared at him and Harry caught his breath, brows furrowing when the vampire did nothing more.  He vaguely heard Qye mumbling something softly, repeatedly, as he straightened and looked uncertainly at the growing frown on the vampire’s face.

Harry discretely moved his hand and raced to think of something.

“What are you?” the vampire finally said, eyes widening just as Harry got the memory he wanted (Draco kissing his cheek, warm and waiting).

“ _Expecto patronum!”_

The vampire shouted and fell back as the white stag erupted from Harry’s wand, galloping forward strong and bright.  Harry took his chance and darted away, dodging around where the young male vampire had taken out two of his enemies and was working on the last.

He heard the snarl behind him and pivoted on his heel, stepping backwards as he shouted, “ _Protego!”_

The vampire crashed against his shield and Harry didn’t hesitate, throwing out every offensive spell he knew before the vampire recovered, watching the man dodge around and glancing around for somewhere safe, somewhere secure.

 **::Telepathy, telekinesis, strength::** he heard Qye muttering as he shouted out a Blasting Charm, a Stinging Hex, a Freezing Charm.  **::Telepathy, telekinesis, strength.::**

“You can’t win!” snarled the vampire as he dodged Harry’s fire spell.

**::Telepathy, telekinesis, strength, telepathy, telekinesis, strength…::**

**_::Qye!::_** Harry said desperately as he stumbled back, the vampire striking right where he had been and taking a chunk out of a tree next to them.

“ _Diffindo!”_ Harry called out, grimacing as he watched the vampire dodge backwards, right out of the way of the spell.  The vampire flicked his hand and Harry jerked, his body twitching, his arm painfully jarred –

\- his wand falling out of his hand.

“Got you now,” the vampire hissed, bracing his feet and leaping forward.

Harry felt a strange calmness in his body, felt himself move back and watched as his hand lifted up –

The vampire froze in midair.

 ** _::Telekinesis::_** Qye whispered.

The frozen vampire stared straight at him, shock and confusion and fury clear in his eyes, his body twitching where it hung a few feet from grabbing him.

Harry heard distant whispers of shock and confusion in the roaring of his ears, watched as Qye held his hand out stretched…

…and flicked his fingers.

The vampire surged backwards, crashing onto the ground and sliding several yards away.

He could distantly see the startled look on the young vampire’s face, black eyes wide from where he stood still next to an equally shocked enemy vampire.

 **::Well::** Qye said, voice shaky, and Harry could feel his hand trembling.  **::Didn’t really think - ::**

Movement happened in the corner of his eye and Harry turned his head in time to see a beast lunge, its terrible features snarling at him.

He instinctively raised his arm, shouting as its mouth clamped down hard, breaking his skin.  He felt flecks of his blood splash across his face, wincing as the beast bit –

\- and reared back, howling.

All vampires froze.

The beast staggered away, choking, its howl becoming gurgled as blood spurt violently from its mouth.  Harry’s eyes were wide as he clutched his arm, gripping the puncture.  The beast fell to the floor, its arms clawing mindlessly as its legs scrambled away from him.

The snarls of the other beasts suddenly turned into whines and Harry saw them warily retreating.

The beast that bit him choked again as more blood poured out, more than it had taken from its bite.

 **::What the hell?::** Qye whispered shakily.

With a final violent shake, the beast lay still, its eyes glazed over in its bloodied face.

“What the fuck?” one of the Dazain vampires said in a hushed voice, heard clearly by all in the silent clearing.  “Was that what I think it was?”

\-----

Lest watched the beast died, a vicious primal instinct in him sated as he shredded the remnants of its mind before the body expired from the blood protection.  And then he felt the cold pit in his stomach as he turned back to his enemy.

Dazain was staring straight at him.

Lest stilled.

“It’s him,” Dazain said quietly across the silent space.  “That’s who he is.  This is where he’s been.”

Lest’s fear spiked.

Dazain raised a hand towards Harry and Lest lunged forward, his face twisted with his rage and dread.

“Get the boy,” Dazain said, his voice ringing through the clearing.

\-----

Things erupted.

One moment, Harry stood shaking and clutching his bleeding arm, looking pale and confused.

The next, the vampires were nearly upon him.

Marylin jerked to shield him and hissed as Dazain cut across her, grunting as he pushed her away with his telekinesis all the while he dodged Lest’s desperate blows.

She saw Asger sweep between Harry and the vampires, his spear sending them all scattering back as Harry dashed off closer to the school, snagging his wand along the way, unfortunately towards the dueling wizards.

Behind the Death Eaters, from where he had been sending his curses and been rebuffed by Dumbledore, she saw Voldemort tremble with fury.  In a moment where Dumbledore was distracted, freezing another vampire dashing near Harry, she saw Voldemort shift his wand.

“No!” she yelled and threw up her hand, crying out as Dazain’s strength slammed down on her and broke her concentration.

“Bastard!” Lest snarled and his punch finally landed, sending the other vampire grunting back as it collided against his mouth.

“Lest!” she shouted desperately and threw out a telepathic image.

Lest whirled to Voldemort just as the spell glowed at the tip of his wand.

“Qye!” he cried, eyes wide and terror bleeding into Marylin’s mind.

Someone shouted, “ _Expelliarmus!”_

And, just as before, the spell was knocked off-course, Voldemort’s rage clear from a distance.

From an archway from the school, Marylin saw Draco Malfoy step forward, bloodied and panting, wand raised as the one who shot the spell, his face pale but hand steady.

The spell hit one of the castle windows, shattering onto the vampires and wizards dueling.  Remnants of the spell bounced back.

Voldemort reared back, a snarling grimace on his face from what must have been Lest trying to tear his mind as the remnants flickered past them, Marylin barely picking herself up.

Their eyes widened in horror as it headed straight for Harry.

Draco ran forward, dodging around the dueling wizards and fighting vampires.

She raised her hand and sent up a shield too late as Harry jerked free from a Death Eater, lifting his wand to stun him, stumbling a few steps, raising his eyes.

The spell hit Harry’s wand, the hand holding it soaked in his blood, and seemed to stop.

It pulsed bright, enveloped him in light so bright the vampires hissed and automatically stumbled back.

Then the screams began, bone curdling.

Marylin barely noticed the _pops_ , the signals of Voldemort and his allies portkeying away.  More Dazain vampires fell but Dazain himself and a few others vanished as Lest turned his attention and tried to run towards the light.

The screams continued on.

There was power, a strange sense of power, and it staggered her, notably pushed back Lest as he tried to get to Qye.

Draco struggled to free himself from Snape, who caught him and held him back from the intense light and waves of something different.

She felt their panic, senses skewed and disoriented by whatever was happening.

All of a sudden, the screams stopped and the light was gone. 

Marylin staggered again, falling into McGonagall, overwhelmed by the surge of power before it vanished.  She shakily pushed herself off the witch, barely noticing the stiffening in the older woman’s body as she looked up to see.

She blinked.

She blinked and there were still two black haired boys.

They wore rags of clothes, torn across and haphazard as if split. Both incredibly pale and thin as they stood back to back.

They collapsed, one barely catching itself on its hands and knees with the other down on the ground, still without a sound.

Not even Dumbledore made a movement and Marylin faintly caught shock in her buzzing senses.

The one that caught itself struggled.  His lips moved, mumbled something.

And then he collapsed as well, his hand falling across the foot of the other.

\----

Two black-haired teenagers, unresponsive to anything magical or vampiric, lay in the beds in the Infirmary, Madam Pomfrey flitting back and forth with her wand constantly waving and circling and a tightness in her eyes the only show of her emotion.

Everyone else stood, staring and helpless.

Lest looked dazed and lost, his blue eyes tracking the witch as she murmured over the impossibility.

He hadn’t said anything when Dumbledore had conjured stretchers and transferred them, too pale and too thin.  He merely stumbled after him as the old wizard sharply sent a message ahead to the Infirmary, conjuring a cloaking spell around them as they hurried off.  Marylin had barely recalled telling Leon and Saira to handle the prisoners before she joined them, barely noticed Draco pulling free of Snape and catching up.

Madam Pomfrey brushed back the hair on one.  She moved to the other and did the same, frowning and murmuring another spell whose light flickered between green and red and everything in between.

“Only one has a scar,” she said absently and sighed as she pulled back.  She turned back to Dumbledore, finally lowering her wand.  “And his…their?”  She stumbled and shook her head before continuing.  “The magical field, I have never seen fluctuations like this before.  One moment, its past anything I’ve ever recorded from him before, other times it is as though he is no more than a Muggle.  It doesn’t stay stable with either of the two.  What spell did you say hit him?”

“A dark spell, Poppy,” Dumbledore said grimly, from where he stood next to a pale McGonagall, recently returned from securing that the rest of the students who were injured in the attack so that they were unable to intrude in the private room they had set up. 

Marylin had distantly heard Ron and Hermione’s voices before the Deputy Headmistress had silenced and protected the room.  She felt her Nosle students still shadowing around, numbly heard no one had been severely hurt and they would all be sent home soon.

“If you have any more details, Headmaster, I can’t - ” Madam Pomfrey said, settling a blanket around one of the teenagers.

“I believe he intended soul breaking,” Dumbledore said quietly.  “Much as he did his own.”

The nurse inhaled sharply and Lest stirred as she took a step forward.  “Albus, did he…was it - ”

“It did not complete,” sighed Dumbledore as he wearily looked at the unconscious figures.  “Mr. Malfoy’s spell interrupted the incantation but what did form…how does it look?”

“I had no readings on soul or other damage, as I said the magical field seems the most affected,” Madam Pomfrey sighed.  “There was something in the blood work but…”  Her eyes darted briefly to her, to Lest.  “Very strange, both of them had fluctuations much like his magic.”  She shook her head.  “The Infirmary is hardly the best place for the boy.  Even with my experience, I have never seen anything like this and I hardly have the tools necessary to begin to guess how to treat this.  It would be best to have him transferred to St. Mungo’s - ”

“He stays here,” Lest interrupted, finally straightening from his slumped post near the window.  Marylin looked up at him from where she sat in the chair next to one of the beds, where she had performed the brief scan when requested by the nurse and found nothing.

Nothing but that curious residue of power and flickers that faded when she chased after them.

“What say do you have in this?” Snape asked coolly, standing with his arms crossed and scowling at the vampire.  Draco stood silently behind him, leaning against a wall and staring palely at the beds.  Snape had drawn the teenager to him and argued around McGonagall and Pomfrey when they tried to send him with the rest of his students.  Dumbledore had sharply sent them to their responsibilities and touched the blond’s shoulder as the nurse had gone to work.  “As admirable as your desire was to protect the boy, he is a wizard first and our responsibility.”  He grimaced but met Lest’s cold gaze without flinching.

The people in the Infirmary shifted, looking at Lest, looking at Marylin, frowning and uneasy.

Only Draco stayed silent, still staring at the beds.

Lest clenched his jaw and broke his gaze to meet his sister’s.

She swallowed.

“There’s….something we need to talk about,” she said reluctantly, wishing this had all gone differently.  She wearily watched as Dumbledore looked at them thoughtfully, McGonagall suspiciously and Snape with carefully narrowed eyes.

“Perhaps my office would be best,” Dumbledore said, no twinkle in his eye.  “I’m sure Mr. Potter will be stable enough as we sort this out.  Poppy, alert us if there are any changes.”

“Of course, Headmaster,” Madam Pomfrey said, frowning and looking down at the teenagers again.  Her wand lit up with another spell as she hovered it over the boy without a scar.

Marylin stood up slowly, body aching, as Lest began to move away.

As soon as he reached the doorway where Dumbledore waited, the readings on the wand wildly began flickering, jumping up and down and changing from red to green to red, and Madam Pomfrey gasped.

Lest immediately turned around and took a step closer.

The readings slowed, becoming the slower flickering of before.

Madam Pomfrey turned off the spell and looked wide eyed at the uncertain vampire while Marylin’s heartbeat slowed from its panic.  Then she sighed and turned to look at the sharp gazes of the wizards.

“As I said,” she said wearily as Lest slowly rejoined her, his eyes on the unconscious figures, “we need to talk.”

Both teenagers lay silent, still with  magic flickering unseen around them.

“Harry,” whispered Draco, unnoticed by all, as Marylin exited with the wizards.

“Qye,” murmured Lest as he gave a last look at his Carus Noctivagus and went to tell the wizards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be concluded in "Carus"
> 
> AN: Opacre told the story of two boys meeting and growing before leaving. Qye showed their return. Carus will conclude the story of Lest and Qye, Draco and Harry, vampires and wizards.
> 
> For those of you who have dreaded a separation - I have read every review and heard you all - I assure you this matter has not been laid to rest as it most certainly has not made things easier. I hope you continue to give me and the story a chance.
> 
> More than a decade of thinking, plotting, writing in between terrible changes in real life and being so thankful for everyone who took the time to read over all these long years. For everyone who has stuck with me since the beginning or has only just recently discovered this, thank you, I love you all and will never have enough words or time to tell you. I hope you jump over to Carus, which will be finished this year. As much as I have loved this story, I am sure everyone can agree the ending and certain reunions have been a long time coming.
> 
> Thank you.


End file.
